rsity  of  California 


LIBRARY 

UWVCftSITY  tF 
CMJfOHNIA 

SAN  DIEGO 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 


THE  act  of  the  Indiana  General  Assembly  signed  by  Governor  Ralston 
on  March  8,  1915,  creating  the  Indiana  Historical  Commission,  assigned  to 
that  body  as  one  of  its  duties  to  collect  and  publish  documentary  and  other 
materials  on  the  historj^  of  Indiana.  The  law  provides  that  these  volumes 
should  be  printed  and  bound  at  the  expense  of  the  State  and  be  made  avail- 
able to  the  public.  Copies  are  offered  at  practically  the  cost  of  printing  the 
volumes,  the  proceeds  to  go  into  the  State  treasury  for  the  use  of  the  His- 
torical Commission  in  producing  other  volumes.  One  copy  is  to  be  fur- 
nished at  the  expense  of  the  Commission  to  each  public  library,  college  and 
Normal  School  in  the  State. 

Two  hundred  copies  are  to  be  furnished  to  the  Indiana  State  Library  and  two 
hundred  copies  to  the  Historical  Survey  of  Indiana  University,  for  purposes 
of  exchange  with  other  states  for  similar  publications.  Of  the  825,000 
appropriated  to  the  Commission  for  Centennial  purposes,  S5,000  were 
permitted  to  be  used  for  historical  publications. 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  COMMISSION 

SAMUEL  M.  RALSTON,  PRESIDENT 
FRANK  B.  WYNN,  VICE  PRESIDENT 
HARLOW  LINDLEY,  SECRETARY 
JAMES  A.  WOODBURN 
CHARLES  W.  MOORES 
SAMUEL  M.  FOSTER 
JOHN  CAVANAUGH 
CHARITY  DYE 
LEW  M.  O'BANNON 


PUBLICATION  COMMITTEE 

JAMES  A.  WOODBURN 
CHARLES  W.  MOORES 
HARLOW  LINDLEY 


FORT  WAYNE  PRINTING  COMPANY 

CONTRACTORS  FOR  STATE  PRINTING  AND  BINDING 
1916 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 

INDIANA  AS  SEEN  BY 
EARLY  TRAVELERS 


A  Collection  of  Reprints  from  Books  of 

Travel,  Letters  and  Diaries 

Prior  to  1 830 


SELECTED  AND  EDITED   BY 

HARLOW  LINDLEY 

Director  Department  of  Indiana  History  and  Archives 

Indiana  State  Library 
Secretary  Indiana  Historical  Commission 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

INDIANA  HISTORICAL  COMMISSION 

INDIANAPOLIS 

1916 


Copyright  Nineteen  Hundred  and  Sixteen 
by  The  Indiana  Historical  Commission 


Indiana  Historical  Collections 


INTRODUCTION 

Many  of  the  first  books  relating  to  Indiana  were  written  by 
travelers  whose  aim  was  to  tell  the  Old  World  what  the  New  World 
was  like.  During  the  first  half  century  following  the  Revolutionary 
War  many  travelers  came  from  Europe  to  visit  the  New  Republic 
and  to  explore  the  frontiers  of  America,  and  during  the  early  de- 
cades of  the  nineteenth  century  many  travelers  from  the  Atlantic 
Coast  states  made  trips  into  the  interior  to  learn  of  the  possibili- 
ties in  the  newer  regions. 

After  a  lapse  of  a  century  these  descriptions  are  of  much  in- 
terest from  an  historical  point  of  view.  Personal  estimates  of  the 
region  vary  and  opinions  were  obviously  warped  in  many  cases 
but  these  descriptions  reflect  conditions  about  which  we  could 
today  secure  information  in  no  other  way.  These  books  are  now 
out  of  print  and  are  not  available  for  most  people.  Because  of 
the  growing  demand  for  this  material  it  has  been  deemed  wise  to 
issue  a  volume  reprinting  the  material  which  concerns  Indiana  pre- 
vious to  1830,  in  as  near  the  original  form  as  possible.  Spelling, 
punctuation  and  capitalization  have  been  followed.  In  some  in- 
stances repetitions  will  be  noticed,  but  it  seemed  best  in  most  cases 
to  give  the  full  account  as  originally  prepared  by  the  author. 
Practically  all  of  David  Thomas'  Travels  through  the  Western 
Country  in  the  Summer  of  1816,  with  his  additional  notices,  has  been 
reprinted,  since  this  Diary  was  written  just  one  hundred  years  ago, 
portraying  conditions  here  just  as  Indiana  became  a  State,  and 
also  because  of  the  particular  value  of  this  individual  journal. 

The  object  of  this  volume  has  been  to  make  available  to  the 
people  of  the  State  and  others  interested  in  Indiana  history,  ma- 
terial which  could  not  be  procured  easily  otherwise.  The  original 
editions  can  be  found  in  the  Indiana  State  Library. 

Included  in  the  volume  are  four  contributions  which  never  before 
have  appeared  in  print — the  Journal  of  Thomas  Scattergood 
Teas,  Letters  of  William  Pelham,  Personal  Reminiscences  of 
Charles  F.  Coffin,  and  Diary  and  Recollections  of  Victor  Colin 
Duclos.  The  Pelham  letters  have  been  made  possible  by  Miss 

(3) 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

Caroline  Creese  Pelham,  of  New  Harmony,  Indiana,  a  great  grand- 
daughter of  William  Pelham. 

The  Editor  wishes  to  acknowledge  the  assistance  given  him  by 
Miss  Esther  U.  McNitt,  Dr.  John  W.  Oliver  and  Mr.  Henry  S. 
Miller,  of  the  Department  of  Indiana  History  and  Archives, 
Indiana  State  Library,  and  Dr.  Walter  C.  Woodward,  Director 
of  the  Indiana  Historical  Commission. 

HARLOW  LINDLEY. 
Earlham  College, 
October  9,  1916. 


CONTENTS 


Page 

INTRODUCTION 3 

HUTCHINS,  THOMAS A  Topographical  Description  of  Virginia, 

Pennsylvania  and  North  Carolina,  1778 .       7 

IMLAY,  GEORGE A  Topographical  Description  of  the  West- 
tern  Territory  of  North  America,  1793.  9 

VOLNEY,  C.  F A  View  of  the  Soil  and  Climate  of  the 

United  States  of  America,  1804 17 

ASHE,  THOMAS Travels  in  America  Performed  in  1806.  . .     25 

MELISH,  JOHN Travels  in  the  United  States  of  America, 

in  the  Years  1806,  and  1807,  and  1809, 
1810,  and  1811 29 

BRADBURY,  JOHN Travels  in  the  Interior  of  America  in  the 

Years  1809,  1810,  and  1811 35 

CUTLER,  JERVASSE A  Topographical  Description  of  the  In- 
diana Territory,  1812 37 

THOMAS,  DAVID Travels  Through  the  Western  Country 

in  the  Summer  of  1816 42 

BROWN,  SAMUEL  R The  Western  Gazetteer,   or  Emigrant's 

Directory,  1817 136 

BIRKBECK,  MORRIS Notes  on  a  Journey  in  America  from  the 

Coast  of  Virginia  to  the  Territory  of 
Illinois,  1817 171 

DARBY,  WILLIAM The  Emigrant's  Guide  to  the  Western  and 

Southwestern    States    and    Territories, 
1818 191 

DANA,  E Geographical   Sketches  on  the  Western 

Country   Designed  for  Emigrants  and  . 
Settlers,  1819 197 

WARDEX,  D.  B A    Statistical,    Political    and    Historical 

Account  of  North  America,  1819 216 

MASON,  RICHARD  LEE Narrative  of  Richard  Lee  Mason  in  the 

Pioneer  West,  1819 235 

INDIANA  GAZETTE,  CORYDON.  .  Letters  of  February  16,  1819  and  Novem- 
ber 24,  1819 239 

MACKENZIE,  E An  Historical,  Topographical,  and  De- 
scriptive View  of  the  United  States  of 
America,  1820 244 

TEAS,  THOMAS  S Journal  of  a  Tour  to  Fort  Wayne  and  the 

Adjacent  Country  in  the  Year  1821. . .  .   246 

FORSTER,  WILLIAM Journal  of  William  Forster,  1821-1822.  .  .   250 

MELISH,  JOHN A  Geographical  Description  of  the  United 

States,  1822 269 

(5) 


6  CONTENTS 

Page 

BLANEY,  CAPT. An  Excursion  Through  the  United  States 

and  Canada,   1822-23 276 

FAUX,  W Memorable   Days  in  America:   Being  a 

Journal  of  a  Tour  to  the  United  States, 
1823 291 

HEBERT,  WILLIAM A  Visit  to  the  Colony  of  Harmony  in  In- 
diana, 1825 327 

PELHAM,  WILLIAM Letters   of  William   Pelham   Written  in 

1825  and  1826 360 

BERNHARD,  KARL 

(Duke  of  Saxe-Weimer)         Travels  Through  North  America,   Dur- 
ing the  Years  1825  and  1826 418 

FLINT,  TIMOTHY Recollections  of   the   Last   Ten  Years, 

Passed  in  Occasional  Residences  and 
Journeyings  in  the  Valley  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, 1826 438 

FLINT,  TIMOTHY A    Condensed    Geography    and    History 

of  the  Western  States,  or  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley,  1828 443 

REED,  ISAAC The  Christian  Traveller,  1828 463 

HALL,  CAPTAIN  BASIL Travels  in  North  America  in  the  Years 

1827  and  1828 506 

COBBETT,  WILLIAM A  Year's  Residence  in  the  United  States  of 

America,  1828. '. 508 

POSTEL,  KARL The  Americans  as  They  Are;  Described 

in  a  Tour  Through  the  Valley  of  the 
Mississippi,  1828 522 

ATWATER,  CALEB Remarks  Made  on  a  Tour  to  Prairie  du 

Chien,  1829 530 

COFFIN,  CHARLES  F Personal  Recollections  of  Charles  F.  Cof- 
fin of  Wayne  County,  Indiana,  From 
1824  to  1833 532 

DUCLOS,  VICTOR  COLIN Diary  and  Recollections  of  Victor  Colin 

Duclos,  1825-1833 .  .  .536 


From  A  Topographical  Description  of  Virginia,  Penn- 
sylvania, Maryland,  and  North  Carolina,  by  Thomas 
Hutchins  [1778],  pp.  26-30. 

HUTCHINS,  THOMAS. 

The  first  and  only  civil  geographer  of  the  United  States  and  the  origin- 
ator of  the  land  platting  survey  system  was  Thomas  Hutchins.  He  was 
born  in  New  Jersey  in  1730,  and  after  spending  several  years  in  the  military 
service,  he  became  interested  in  exploring  the  interior  of  the  United  States. 
The  intimate  knowledge  gained,  fitted  him  for  laying  out  roads  and  making 
such  topographical  surveys  as  Congress  desired.  Hence  in  1782  he  was  ap- 
pointed official  Geographer  of  the  United  States.  For  the  next  fifteen  years 
he  was  busy  surveying  new  lands,  locating  boundaries  between  states  and  col- 
lecting such  scientific  data  as  requested  by  the  United  States  government. 
He  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  foremost  scientific  men  in  the  country,  and 
his  geographical  works  formed  the  basis  for  that  famous  American  Geo- 
graphy of  Jedidiah  Morse. 

The  W abash,  is  a  beautiful  River,  with  high  and  upright 
banks,  less  subject  to  overflow,  than  any  other  River  (the  Ohio 
excepted)  in  this  part  of  America.  It  discharges  itself  into  the 
Ohio,  one  thousand  and  wenty-two  miles  below  Fort  Pitt,  in 
latitude  37°  41'. — At  its  mouth,  it  is  270  yards  wide;  Is  navigable 
to  Ouiatanon  (412  miles)  in  the  Spring,  Summer,  and  Autumn,  with 
Battoes  or  Barges,  drawing  about  three  feet  water.  From  thence, 
on  account  of  a  rocky  bottom,  and  shoal  water,  large  canoes  are 
chiefly  employed,  except  when  the  River  is  swelled  with  Rains,  at 
which  time,  it  may  be  ascended  with  boats,  such  as  I  have  just  de- 
scribed, (197  miles  further)  to  the  Miami  carrying-place,  which  is 
nine  miles  from  the  Miami  village,1  and  this  is  situated  on  a  River 
of  the  same  name,2  that  runs  into  the  south-south-west  part  of 
Lake  Erie. — The  Stream  of  the  Wabash,  is  generally  gentle  to  Fort 
Ouiatanon,  and  no  where  obstructed  with  Falls,  but  is  by  several 
Rapids,  both  above  and  below  that  Fort,  some  of  which  are  pretty 
considerable.  There  is  also  a  part  of  the  River  for  about  three 
miles,  and  30  miles  from  the  carrying-place,  where  the  Channel  is 
so  narrow,  that  it  is  necessary  to  make  use  of  setting  poles,  in- 
stead of  oars.  The  land  on  chis  River  is  remarkably  fertile,  and 
several  parts  of  it  are  natural  meadows,  of  great  extent,  covered 
with  fine  long  grass. — The  timber  is  large,  and  high,  and  in  such 
variety,  that  almost  all  the  different  kinds  growing  upon  the 
Ohio,  and  its  branches  (buc  with  a  greater  proportion  of  black  and 

1.  Later  Fort  Wayne* 

2.  Maumee  River.  (7) 


8  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

white  mulberry-trees)  may  be  found  here.— A  silver  mine  has  been 
discovered  about  28  miles  above  Ouiatanon,  on  the  northern  side  of 
the  W abash,  and  probably  others  may  be  found  hereafter.  The 
Wabash  abounds  with  Salt  Springs,  and  any  quantity  of  salt  may 
be  made  from  them,  in  the  manner  now  done  at  the  Saline  in  the 
Illinois  country:— the  hills  are  replenished  with  the  best  coal,  and 
there  is  plenty  of  Lime  and  Free  Stone,  Blue,  Yellow  and  White 
Clay,  for  Glass  Works  and  Pottery.  Two  French  settlements  are  es- 
tablished on  the  Wabash,  called  Post  Vincient  and  Ouiatanon; 
the  first  is  150  miles,  and  the  other  262  miles  from  its  mouth. 
The  former  is  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  River,  and  consists  of  60 
settlers  and  their  families.  They  raise  Indian  Corn, — Wheat;  and 
Tobacco  of  an  extraordinary  good  quality; — superior,  it  is  said,  to 
that  produced  in  Virginia.  They  have  a  fine  breed  of  horses 
(brought  originally  by  the  Indians  from  the  Spanish  settlements  <>n 
the  western  side  of  the  River  Missisippi)a,nd  large  stocks  of  Swine, 
and  Black  Cattle.  The  settlers  deal  with  the  natives  for  Furrs  and 
Deer  skins,  to  the  amount  of  about  5000  I.  annually.  Hemp  of  a 
good  texture  grows  spontaneously  in  the  low  lands  of  the  Wabash, 
as  do  Grapes  in  the  greatest  abundance,  having  a  black,  thin 
skin,  and  of  which  the  inhabitants  in  the  Autumn,  make  a  suffi- 
cient quantity  (for  their  own  consumption)  of  well-tasted  Red- 
Wine.  Hops  large  and  good,  are  found  in  many  places,  and  vhe 
lands  are  particularly  adapted  to  the  culture  of  Rice.  All  Euro- 
pean fruits: — Apples,  Peaches,  Pears,  Cherrys,  Currants,  Goos- 
berrys,  Melons,  &  thrive  well,  both  here,  and  in  the  country  bor- 
dering on  the  River  Ohio. 

Ouiatanon  is  a  small  stockaded  fort  on  the  western  side  of  the 
Wdbash,  in  which  about  a  dozen  families  reside.  The  neighbour- 
ing Indians  are  the  Kickapoos,  Musquitons,  Pyankishaws,  and  a 
principle  part  of  the  Ouiatanons.  The  whole  of  these  tribes  con- 
sists, it  is  supposed,  of  about  one  thousand  warriors.  The  fer- 
tility of  soil,  and  diversity  of  timber  in  this  country,  are  the 
same  as  in  the  vicinity  of  Post  Vincient.  The  annual  amount  of 
3"kins  and  Furrs,  obtained  at  Ouiatanon  is  about  8000  /.  By  the 
River  Wabash,  the  inhabitants  of  Detroit  move  to  the  southern 
parts  of  Ohio,  and  the  Illinois  country.  Their  rout  is  by  the 
Miami  River  to  a  carrying-place,  which,  as  before  stated,  is  nine 
miles  to  the  Wabash,  when  this  River  is  raised  with  Freshes;  but 
at  other  seasons,  the  distance  is  from  18  to  30  miles  including  the 
portage.  The  whole  of  the  latter  is  through  a  level  country. 
Carts  are  usually  employed  in  transporting  boats  and  merchandise, 
from  the  Miami  to  the  Wabash  River. 


From  A  Topographical  Description  of  the  Western  Terri- 
tory of  North  America,  by  George  Imlay  [1793], 
pp.  66-67,  81,  93-97,  113,  137-38,  402-13,  427. 

IMLAY,  GEORGE. 

George  Imlay  was  a  captain  in  the  American  army  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  later  appointed  commissioner  for  laying  out  lands  in  the 
"Back  Settlements."  Taking  advantage  of  the  opportunity,  he  spent  consid- 
erable time  in  making  a  topographical  study  of  the  region.  He  describes  with 
considerable  interest  the  soil,  climate,  natural  history,  population,  agri- 
culture, manners  and  customs  of  the  people.  By  supplying  a  few  maps  and  a 
table  of  distances  he  presented  a  very  readable  and  somewhat  valuable  book 
for  that  day— 1793. 

Immediately  in  the  fork1  the  land  is  flat,  and  liable  to  over- 
flow; but  as  you  advance  on  either  river  the  banks  rise,  and  the 
country  expanding,  displays  a  luxuriant  soil  for  a  long  distance 
above  the  Wabash  on  the  Ohio  side,  and  quite  to  the  Illinois  on 
the  Mississippi  side,  which  is  about  two  hundred  and  thirty 
miles  above  its  junction  with  the  Ohio,  and  twenty  above  the 
mouth  of  Missouri.  This  country  lies  nearly  in  the  same  parallel 
of  latitude  of  Kentucky.  From  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash*  the 
bottoms  on  the  Ohio  are  extensive  and  extremely  fertile,  as  is  the 
country  from  thence  to  Post  St.  Vincent;  but  towards  the  rapids 
of  the  Ohio,  and  beyond  the  bottoms  of  this  river,  the  country  is 
considerably  broken,  and  the  soil  in  some  places  light  and  indiffer- 
ent. After  leaving  Post  St.  Vincent,  in  the  route  to  the  Illinois 
country,  you  soon  fall  into  those  extensive  plains  which  have  been 
described  in  such  glowing  colours  by  Hutchins.  .  .  . 

The  country  lying  between  the  Miami,  Wabash,  the  Ohio,  and 
the  same  hills,  I  would  put  into  another  State;  and  the  country 
lying  between  the  Wabash,  Ohio,  Mississippi,  and  Illinois  rivers, 
I  would  establish  into  a  fifth  State.  .  .  . 

Here  is  found  all  the  variety  of  soil  and  climate  necessary 
to  the  culture  of  every  kind  of  grain,  fibrous  plants,  cotton, 
fruits,  vegetables,  and  all  sorts  of  provisions.  The  upper  settle- 

*The  Wabash  is  nearly  300  yards  wide  at  its  mouth,  and  except  some  inconsider- 
able rapids,  it  is  navigable  upwards  of  400  miles. 

1.     Formed  by  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers. 

» 

(9) 


10  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

ments  on  the  Ohio  produce  chiefly  wheat,  oats,  barley,  rye,  In- 
dian corn  or  maze,  hemp  and  flax.  The  fruits  are  apples,  pears, 
cherries,  peaches,  plums,1  strawberries,  rasberries,  currants, 
gooseberries,  and  grapes;  of  culinary  plants  and  vegetables,  there 
are  turnips,  potatoes,  carrots,  parsnips,  cymbiline  or  squash, 
cucumbers,  pease,  beans,  asparagus,  cabbages,  brocoli,  celery  and 
sallads;  besides  which  there  are  melons  and  herbs  of  every  sort. 
The  provision  consists  of  beef,  pork,  mutton,  veal,  and  a  variety 
of  poultry,  such  as  ducks,  Muscovy  ducks,  turkeys,  geese,  dung- 
hill fowls,  and  pigeons.  The  superfluous  provisions  are  sold  to  the 
emigrants,  who  are  continually  passing  through  those  settlements, 
in  their  route  to  the  different  districts  of  country,  and  which  I 
have  enumerated.  Some  considerable  quantities  of  spirits  dis- 
tilled from  rye,  and  likewise  cyder,  are  sent  down  the  river  to  a 
market,  in  those  infant  settlements  where  the  inhabitants  have 
not  had  time  to  bring  orchards  to  any  perfection,  or  have 
not  a  superfluity  of  grain  to  distil  into  spirits.  The  beef,  pork, 
and  flour  are  disposed  of  in  the  same  way.  The  flax  and  hemp  are 
packed  on  horses  and  sent  across  the  mountain  to  the  inland  towns 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,  and  (as  I  hinted  in  a  former  letter) 
in  a  few  years,  when  grazing  forms  the  principal  object  of  those 
settlers,  they  will  always  find  a  market  for  their  cattle  at  Phila- 
delphia, Baltimore,  and  Alexandria. 

These  settlements  might  produce  a  considerable  quantity  of 
sugar,  but  hitherto  what  they  have  made  has  served  for  little 
more  than  home  consumption,  as  every  part  of  the  back  country 
from  lat.  42°  to  36°  and  upon  the  Mississippi,  as  far  north  as  lat. 
45°,  produces  an  abundance  of  the  sugar  maple-tree  as  would  be 
equal  to  furnish  sugar  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  whole  earth;  and 
to  send  it  to  any  of  the  market  towns  on  the  Atlantic  is  too  far 
to  be  profitable,  until  the  canals  of  the  Potowmac  shall  have 
been  finished.  That  country  produces  also  all  the  pot-herbs  which 
are  common  in  Europe:  several  kinds  of  nuts  grow  in  the  forests, 
such  as  chestnuts,  hickory,  and  black  walnuts.  The  mountains, 
hills,  and  uninhabited  parts  abound  in  deer,  wild  turkeys,  and  a 
species  of  grouse,  called  by  the  Americans  promiscuously  part- 
ridge or  pheasant.  There  is  an  abundance  of  wild  fowl,  as  indeed 
is  the  case  in  every  part  of  the  western  country:  to  enumerate 
these  could  prove  for  you  neither  amusement  or  instruction. 

Linen  and  woolen  cloths,  leather,  and  hats,  for  home  consump- 
tion, are  manufactured  with  considerable  success.  The  two  first 


GEORGE  IMLAY.  11 

articles  are  only  made  in  families  for  their  own  use;  but  the  latter 
are  made  by  men  of  profession  in  that  business,  and  are  of  a  quality 
that  would  not  disgrace  the  mechanics  of  Europe.  Blacksmiths' 
work  of  all  sorts,  even  to  making  fire  arms,  is  done  there;  as  is 
also  cabinet  work,  wheel-wright,  mill-wright,  house  carpentry, 
joinery,  shoe-making,  etc.,  etc.,  in  short,  all  the  trades,  immedi- 
ately necessary  to  the  promotion  of  the  comforts  of  new  settle- 
ments, are  to  be  found  here. 

After  passing  to  the  southward  of  lat.  40  deg.  the  climate  becomes 
favourable  to  the  culture  of  tobacco.  It  will,  no  doubt,  grow  farther 
to  the  north ;  but  neither  its  flavour  is  so  aromatic,  or  the  crop  so 
certain  or  productive.  Indeed,  the  farther  south  tobacco  grows, 
generally  the  finer  its  quality;  hence  it  is,  that  the  saegars  of  Cuba 
are  so  much  admired  for  their  peculiar  scent,  and  the  Oroonookoo 
for  its  mildness.  However,  this  is  of  little  consequence  to  any 
country,  as  it  is  certain  no  cultivation  is  so  pernicious  to  the 
soil,  and  of  so  little  real  advantage  to  the  cultivator.  It  contin- 
ually impoverishes  the  land;  and  every  additional  season, 
instead  of  producing  riches  to  an  estate,  tends  to  beggar  it :  every 
vestige  of  its  growth  is  misery  and  devastation,  and  no  soil,  but 
one  as  prolific  as  that  of  the  Nile,  would  be  capable  of  producing 
it  for  any  length  of  time,  according  to  the  system  which  has  been 
pursued  in  Virginia  and  Maryland.  However,  the  whole  of  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  country  below  lat.  40  deg.  is  perhaps  better 
adapted  to  produce  tobacco  in  quantity  than  any  other  country 
upon  the  face  of  the  globe. 

There  are  also  portages  into  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie  from  the 
Wabash,  Great  Miami,  Muskingum,  and  Allegany,  from  2  to  16 
miles.* 

Copper  mines  have  been  discovered  in  several  places,  but  the 
mine  on  the  Wabash  is,  perhaps,  the  richest  vein  of  native  copper 
in  the  bowels  of  the  whole  earth;  and  no  doubt  will  render  all 
the  others  .of  little  or  no  value.  Sulphur  is  found  in  several  places 
in  abundance;  and  nitre  is  made  from  earth  which  is  collected 
from  caves  and  other  places  to  which  the  wet  has  not  penetrated. 
The  making  this  salt,  in  this  country,  is  so  common,  that  many  of 
the  settlers  manufacture  their  own  gunpowder. 

Extract  from  a  letter  written  by  a  member  of  the  expedition  against 
the  Indians  in  1791: 

"General  Scott,  at  the  head  of  800  Kentucky  Volunteers, 
marched  from  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky  River,  about  the 

*Some  of  these  have  been  noticed  in  a  note  in  a  preceding  part  of  this  work. 


12  EARLY  TKAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

beginning  of  June,  the  course  he  steered  was  about  north  20° 
west,  and  in  about  fifteen  days  he  struck  and  surprized  the  lower 
Weaucteneau  towns  on  the  Wabash  River,  and  the  pararie  adjoin- 
ing; but  unfortunately  the  river  at  that  time  was  not  fordable,  or 
the  Kickapoo  Town  on  the  north-west  side,  with  the  Indians  who 
escaped  in  their  canoes  from  the  Weau  Town  on  the  south,  must 
have  fallen  completely  into  our  hands;  however,  about  20  war- 
riors were  killed  in  the  Weau  villages,  and  in  the  river  crossing  the 
Wabash,  and  47  of  their  Squaws  and  children  taken  prisoners. 

"Immediately  after  the  engagement,  a  council  of  war  was 
called,  when  it  was  determined,  that  Wilkinson  should  cross  the 
Wabash  under  cover  of  the  night,  with  a  detachment  of  four 
hundred  men,  and  endeavour  to  surprise  the  town  of  Kathtip- 
pacamunck,  which  was  situated  upon  the  north  side  of  that 
river,  at  the  mouth  of  Rippacanoe  creek,  and  about  twenty  miles 
above  the  Lower  Weau  towns.  This  expedition  was  conducted 
with  so  much  caution  and  celerity,  that  Wilkinson  arrived  at  the 
margin  of  the  pararie,  within  a  mile,  and  to  the  west  of  the  town, 
about  an  hour  before  the  break  of  day;  whilst  a  detachment  was 
taking  a  circuit  through  the  pararie  to  co-operate  with  the  main 
body  on  a  given  signal;  day  appeared,  and  the  volunteers  rushed 
into  the  town  with  an  impetuosity  not  to  be  resisted.  The 
detachment  in  advance  reached  the  Rippacanoe  Creek  the  very 
moment  the  last  of  the  Indians  were  crossing,  when  a  very  brisk 
fire  took  place  between  the  detachment  and  the  Indians  on  the 
opposite  side,  in  which  several  of  their  warriors  were  killed,  and 
two  of  our  men  wounded. 

"This  town,  which  contained  about  120  houses,  80  of  which 
were  shingle  roofed,  was  immediately  burnt  and  levelled  with  the 
ground;  the  best  houses  belonged  to  French  traders,  whose  gardens 
and  improvements  round  the  town  were  truly  delightful,  and, 
every  thing  considered,  not  a  little  wonderful;  there  was  a  tavern, 
with  cellars,  bar,  public,  and  private  rooms;  and  the  whole  marked 
a  considerable  share  of  order,  and  no  small  degree  of  civilization. 

"Wilkinson  returned  with  his  detachment,  after  destroying 
the  town,  and  joined  the  main  army  about  seven  in  the  evening; 
and  the  day  following  our  little  army  were  put  in  motion  with 
their  prisoners;  and  steering  about  south,  in  twelve  days  reached 
the  Rapids  of  the  Ohio,  with  the  loss  only  of  two  men,  who  unfortu- 
nately were  drowned  in  crossing  Main  White  River. 

"The  success  of  this  expedition  encouraged  Government  to  set 
another  on  foot,  under  the  command  of  General  Wilkinson; 


GEORGE  IMLAY.  13 

which  was  destined  to  operate  against  the  same  tribes  of  Indians; 
whose  main  town,  near  the  mouth  of  Ell  River,  on  the  Wabash, 
had  not  been  attacked  in  the  first  excursion;  and  accordingly,  on 
the  first  of  August  following,  the  general,  at  the  head  of  500 
mounted  volunteers,  marched  from  Fort  Washington,  north 
16°  west,  steering,  as  it  were,  for  the  Manmic  villages  on  the 
Picaway  Fork  of  the  Manmic  (or  Miami  of  the  lake)  and  St. 
Mary's  River — This  movement  was  intended  as  a  feint,  and  the 
Indians,  who  afterwards  fell  upon  our  trail,  were  completely 
deceived;  nor  did  we  change  our  course,  until  by  the  capture  of  a 
Delaware  Indian,  we  ascertained  that  we  were  within  30  miles 
of  the  principal  of  the  Manmic  villages,  and  having  marched  down 
our  northing,  at  the  very  time  we  received  the  information,  shifted 
our  course  to  due  west,  and  at  the  distance  of  180  miles  from  Fort 
Washington  we  struck  the  Wabash  within  two  miles  and  a  half  of 
Longuille,  or,  as  the  Indians  call  it,  Kenapacomaqua — It  was 
about  4  P.  M.  when  we  reached  that  river,  and  crossing  it  immedi- 
ately, we  marched  in  four  columns  across  the  neck  of  land,  formed 
by  the  junction  of  the  Wabash  and  Ell  Rivers:  passing  several 
Indian  war  posts  that  had  been  fresh  painted,  we  arrived  com- 
pletely concealed  on  the  south  bank  of  Ell  River,  and  directly 
opposite  the  town  of  Kenapacomaqua. 

"The  surprize  of  this  town  was  so  very  complete,  that  before 
we  received  orders  to  cross  the  river  and  rush  upon  the  town,  we 
observed  several  children  playing  on  the  tops  of  the  houses,  and 
could  distinguish  the  hilarity  and  merriment  that  seemed  to  crown 
the  festivity  of  the  villagers,  for  it  was  in  the  season  of  the  green 
corn  dance, 

"The  want  of  day-light,  and  a  morass,  that  nearly  encircled 
the  town,  prevented  us  from  suddenly  attacking,  which  enabled 
several  of  the  Indians  to  escape;  and  in  some  measure  obscured 
the  brilliancy  of  the  enterprize,  by  limiting  the  number  of  warriors 
killed  to  eleven,  and  capturing  forty  Squaws  and  their  children, 
after  burning  all  the  houses,  and  destrojdng  about  200  acres  of 
corn;  which  was  then  in  the  milk,  and  in  that  stage  when  the 
Indians  prepare  it  for  Zossomanony.  This  success  was  atchieved 
with  the  loss  of  two  men,  who  were  killed. 

"About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  mounted  our  prisoners, 
and  took  a  west  and  by  north  course  toward  the  Little  Kickapoo 
Town,  which  the  general  hoped  to  surprize  on  his  way  to  the  Great 
Kickapoo  Town,  in  the  pararie,  on  the  waters  of  the  Illinois 
River;  but  the  difficulties  we  encountered  in  this  march,  through 

T — 2 


14  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

these  almost  boundless  pararies,  were  such,  that  upon  our  arrival 
at  the  Little  Kickapoo  Town,  we  found  one  half  the  horses  in  the 
army  non-effective,  and  unlikely  to  reach  the  Ohio,  by  the  near- 
est course  we  could  take;  which  consideration  induced  the  gen- 
eral to  relinquish  the  enterprize  against  the  Great  Kickapoo 
Town;  and,  accordingly,  after  destroying  about  200  acres  of  corn 
at  Kathtippacanunck,  Kickapoo,  and  the  lower  Weauctenau 
towns,  we  gained  General  Scot's  return  tract,  and  on  the  21st  of 
August,  after  a  circuitous  march  of  486  miles,  arrived  with  our 
prisoners  at  Louisville. 

"In  the  course  of  this  march,  I  had  an  opportunity  of  observ- 
ing the  general  face  of  the  country  through  which  we  passed. — 
Between  Fort  Washington,  at  the  crossing  of  the  Great  Miami, 
where  at  present  there  is  a  considerable  settlement  under  the  pro- 
tection of  Fort  Hamilton,  a  fine  body  of  land  is  found,  but  which 
is  very  indifferently  watered.  The  situation  of  Fort  Hamilton  is 
well  chosen,  as  advantageous  for  defence,  as  pleasing  to  the  eye; 
it  stands  on  a  narrow  neck  of  land,  commanding  the  Miami  on 
N.W.  and  a  pararie  and  sheet  of  water  on  the  N.E.  about  a  mile 
wide,  and  two  miles  and  a  half  long;  from  this  pararie  an  abundant 
supply  of  forage  may  be  got  for  the  use  of  the  army  by  repeated  mov- 
ings  [mowings]  of  a  very  fine  natural  grass,  from  the  month  of  June 
till  the  end  of  September.  After  passing  the  Miami  River  hills,  on 
the  west  side,  the  country  in  places  is  broken,  though,  generally 
speaking,  from  thence  to  the  limits  of  our  march,  toward  the 
Manmic  villages  the  face  of  it  is  agreeably  varied  with  hills  and 
dales;  well  watered,  and  the  timber  mostly  such  as  indicates  a 
strong  and  durable  soil.  Between  the  Manmic  trace  and  our  west 
line  of  march  toward  Kenapacomaqua,  there  are  a  number  of 
beech  swamps,  which  will  require  draining  before  they  will  admit 
of  settlements  being  formed — there  are  however  delightfully 
pleasant  and  fertile  situations  on  the  Balemut  and  Salamine 
Rivers,  which  are  only  inferior  to  the  woody  plains  of  Kentucky 
in  extent  and  climate.  The  pararie,  in  which  was  situated  Ken- 
apacomaqua, on  the  north  bank  of  Ell  River,  is  chiefly  a  morass, 
and  produces  little  else,  other  than  hazel,  sallow,  a  species  of 
dwarf  poplar,  and  a  very  coarse,  but  luxuriant  grass;  the  latter  of 
which  covers  mostly  the  whole  surface  of  the  earth. — The  same 
kind  of  pararie  extends,  with  little  alteration,  until  you  approach 
Kathtippacanunck,  when  the  whole  country  gradually  assumes  a 
more  pleasing  and  valuable  appearance. 


GEORGE  IMLAY.  15 

"On  our  line  of  march  from  Kenapacomaqua  to  Kathtippa- 
canunck  (the  distance  of  which  from  the  traverses  we  were  obliged 
to  make  to  avoid  impassable  morasses,  was  sixty  miles),  in  several 
places,  the  prospect  was  only  bounded  by  the  natural  horizon, 
the  uniformity  of  which  was  here  and  there  broken  by  the  dis- 
tant looming  of  a  grove  on  the  edge  of  the  plane,  which  strongly 
resembled  the  projecting  points  of  a  coach  clothed  with  wood, 
and  seen  by  mariners  at  a  distance  from  the  shore. 

"The  situation  of  the  late  town  of  Kathtippacanunck  was  well 
chosen  for  beauty  and  convenience;  it  stood  in  the  bosom  of  a 
delightful  surrounding  country  on  a  very  rich  bottom,  extend- 
ing east  and  west,  on  the  Wabash  River  about  two  miles;  the  bot- 
tom about  half  a  mile  wide,  bounded  on  the  east  by  Tippacanoe, 
and  westward  by  a  beautiful  rising  ground,  skirted  and  clothed 
with  thin  woods — from  the  upper  bank  you  command  a  view  of 
the  Wabash  River,  which  is  terminated  by  a  towering  growth  of 
wood  to  the  south,  and  Tippacanoe  Creek  to  the  East — the  coun- 
try in  the  rear  from  the  upper  bank  spreads  into  a  level  pararie 
of  firm,  strong  land,  of  an  excellent  quality,  interspersed  with 
copses,  naked  groves  of  trees,  and  high  mounds  of  earth  of  a  regular 
and  conical  form,  all  of  which  conspire  to  relieve  the  eye,  and  cheer 
the  scene  with  a  most  agreeable  variety.  The  top  of  this  bank, 
which  is  level  with  the  plane  of  the  pararie,  and  about  two  hundred 
feet  perpendicular  from  the  bottom  in  which  the  town  stood, 
forms  an  angle  about  60°,  and  about  midway  there  issues  from  its 
side  two  living  fountains,  which  have  hitherto  constantly  supplied 
the  town  with  water. 

"The  country  between  Kathtippacanunck  and  the  Little 
Kickapoo  town  is  beautiful  beyond  description.  The  numerous 
breaks,  and  intermixture  of  woodland  and  plains,  give  the  whole 
an  air  of  the  most  perfect  taste;  for  nature  here,  in  a  propitious 
hour  and  in  a  benignant  mood,  seems  to  have  designed  to  prove,  in 
beautifying,  how  far  she  excels  our  utmost  efforts,  and  the  most 
laboured  improvements  of  art. 

"Between  the  Little  Kickapoo  town  and  the  lower  Weauste- 
neau  towns,  the  land  is  of  the  first-rate  quality — at  the  edge  of  the 
wood  lands,  and  before  you  descend  into  the  river  bottoms,  one 
of  the  most  charming  prospects  the  imagination  can  form,  dis- 
plays itself  in  all  the  variegated  pride  of  the  most  captivating 
beauty.  From  this  place,  through  the  glades  and  vistas  of  the 
groves  in  the  bottom,  you  catch  a  view  of  the  meandering  river, 


16  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

which  silently  steals  through  this  smiling  country,  as  if  pregnant 
with  its  charms,  and,  as  if  it  was  hurrying  to  communicate  its 
joys  to  less  happy  streams.  The  bottoms  of  the  Wabash  on  the 
opposite  side  are  confined  by  a  bluff  bank  nearly  two  hundred  feet, 
which  interrupts  the  prospect,  and  runs  parrallel  with  the  river — 
from  the  top  of  this  bank  a  plain  is  seen  stretching  out  to  the  east 
and  west  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  without  tree  or  bush,  covered 
with  a  most  luxuriant  herbage,  and  in  every  respect  assuming  the 
appearance  of  a  highly  improved  and  cultivated  meadow.  The 
plain  is  terminated  on  the  south  by  a  distant  prospect  of  the  rising 
woodlands,  which,  with  a  misty  bloom,  and  in  all  that  azure  beauty, 
so  peculiar  to  these  fair  regions, .  here  appears  in  all  its  aetherial 
lustre;  and  seems  finally  lost  in  combining  with  the  clouds. 

"The  Briares  extend  about  twenty-five  miles  south  of  the 
Wabash,  from  thence  the  country  gradually  breaks  into  hills  and 
valleys,  and  until  we  reached  the  waters  of  White  River,  we  found 
the  soil  tolerably  good.  There  it  is  very  much  broken,  the  bot- 
toms of  the  rivers  are  narrow,  and  subject  to  frequent  and  violent 
inundations. 

"There  is  some  tolerable  good  land  on  Rocky  River,  but  as  we 
approached  the  waters  of  the  Blue  River,  the  country  again  opens 
into  plains,  in  which  are  interspersed  clumps  of  scrubby  oak, 
dwarf  laurel,  plumb,  and  hazel,  that  extend  to  Indian  Creek,  when 
the  country  again  improves,  and  though  it  is  rather  broken,  it 
continued  to  improve  until  we  reached  the  Rapids  of  the  Ohio." 
...The  country  within  the  Wabash,  the  Indian  line  before 
described,  the  Pennsylvania  line,  and  the  Ohio,  contains,  on  a 
loose  estimate,  about  55,000  square  miles,  or  35  millions  of  acres. 

During  the  British  government,  great  numbers  of  persons  had 
formed  themselves  into  companies  under  different  names,  such  as 
the  Ohio,  the  Wabache,  the  Illinois,  the  Mississippi,  or  Vandalia 
companies,  and  had  covered,  with  their  applications,  a  great  part 
of  this  territory.  Some  of  them  had  obtained  orders  on  certain 
conditions,  which,  having  never  been  fulfilled,  their  titles  were 
never  completed  by  grants.  Others  were  only  in  a  state  of  negocia- 
tion,  when  the  British  authority  was  discontinued. 


From  A  view  of  the  soil  and  climate  of  the  United  States  of 
America,  by  C.  F.  Volney  [1804],  pp.  24-25,  70-71, 
121,  124,  331-37,  352-55. 

VOLNEY,  CONSTANTIN  FRANCOIS  CHASSEBOENF. 

C.  F.  Volney  was  a  Frenchman  who  first  gained  distinction  by  publish- 
ing an  account  of  his  travels  in  Syria  and  Egypt.  In  1796  he  came  to  America 
and  made  a  study  chiefly  of  its  physical  conditions,  its  surface  and  climate. 
A  few  remarks  were  added  upon  the  character  of  the  aboriginal  tribes.  The 
writer  was  somewhat  prejudiced  and  his  descriptions  smack  strongly  of 
conceit.  Yet,  unassisted  as  he  was,  he  presents  as  nearly  a  scientific  review 
of  conditions  as  was  possible  for  any  one  observer. 

.  .  .1  traversed  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  of  this  forest,  from 
Louisville,  near  the  rapids  of  Ohio,  to  Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash, 
without  lighting  on  a  hut,  and,  what  surprised  me  still  more,  with- 
out hearing  the  voice  of  a  bird,  though  in  the  month  of  July.  This 
forest  ends  just  before  you  reach  the  Wabash,  and  from  thence 
to  the  Mississippi,  a  .distance  of  eighty  miles,  all  is  prairie  or 
meadow.  Here  commences  the  American  Tartary,  bearing,  in 
all  respects,  a  strong  resemblance  to  the  Asiatic.  Though  warm 
and  sultry  in  the  southern  quarter,  the  air  becomes  chill,  and  the 
soil,  unkindly,  as  you  go  northward.  Beyond  the  48th  degree 
of  north  latitude,  the  waters  are  frozen  six  months  in  the  year, 
the  ground  is  overshadowed  by  deep  woods,  or  drowned  in  swamps, 
and  intersected  by  rivers,  which,  in  a  course  of  three  thousand 
miles  have  not  fifty  miles  of  interruption  or  portages.  In  all 
these  features,  we  recognize  a  likeness  to  the  ancient  Tartary, 
which  would  be  entire  and  complete,  could  we  see  its  natives 
metamorphosed  into  horsemen.  This  transformation  has,  within 
the  last  twenty-five  or  thirty  years,  taken  place,  in  some  degree, 
among  the  Nehesawey  or  Noudowessey  Indians,  who  are  mounted 
upon  Spanish  horses,  stolen  in  the  plains  north  of  Mexico.  In  half 
a  century,  these  New  Tartars  will  probably  become  formidable 
neighbours  to  the  people  of  the  United  States,  and  the  settlers 
beyond  the  Mississippi  will  encounter  difficulties  totally  unknown 
to  their  ancestors. 

.  .  .  On  my  return  from  Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash,  I  was  first 
struck  by  the  position  of  a  ridge  of  hills,  situated  below  Silver 
Creek,  about  five  miles  from  the  rapids.  This  ridge,  vaguely 
denominated,  by  the  Canadians,  the  Banks,  stretches  from  north 
to  south,  across  the  basin  of  the  Ohio.  It  compels  the  stream  to 
change  its  course  from  east  to  west,  in  search  of  an  outlet,  which 

(17) 


18  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

t 

presents  itself  at  its  conflux  with  the  Salt  River.  It  may  be  said 
to  require  the  accession  of  that  river,  in  order  to  force  a  way 
through  the  rampart  before  it.  The  rapid  but  smooth  declivity 
of  these  banks  may  be  descended  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Com- 
pared with  other  heights,  their  elevation  may  be  stated  at  400 
feet.  The  summit  is  too  thickly  studded  with  trees  to  permit  us  to 
trace  the  lateral  course  of  this  chain  with  the  eye.  We  may  dis- 
cover, however,  that  it  stretches  far  to  the  north  and  south,  and 
that  it  shuts  up  the  entire  basin  of  the  Ohio. 

Viewed  from  this  summit,  the  general  appearance  of  this  vale 
tended  strongly  to  confirm  all  my  previous  opinions  respecting 
the  existence  of  an  ancient  lake.  Other  circumstances  likewise 
lent  their  aid  to  this  conclusion;  for  from  this  ridge  to  the  White 
River,  eight  miles  from  Vincennes,  the  whole  surface  is  roughened 
by  hills,  frequently  steep  and  lofty.  They  are  high  and  precip- 
itous near  the  Blue  River,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  White  River. 
They  take  a  course,  in  general,  transverse  to  the  Ohio. 
.  .  .  Wheat  is  not  grown  at  Vincennes.  The  products  chiefly 
attended  to  are  maize,  tobacco,  and  cotton,  all  which  have  been 
deemed  congenial  to  a  hot  climate. 

.  .  .The  Wabash  is  usually  frozen  in  winter,  but  only  for  five,  ten, 
or  fifteen  days.  In  Kentucky,  and  throughout  the  vale  of  the 
Ohio,  the  snow  remains  from  three  days  to  ten,  and  even  in  Jan- 
uary they  experience  hot  sultry  days,  when  the  mercury  rises  to 
66  and  72,  with  the  wind  at  south  or  south-west,  and  a  clear  sky. 
The  spring  is  ushered  in  with  showers,  blown  from  the  north- 
east and  north-west,  and  the  heats  become  great  and  permanent 
within  forty  days  after  the  equinox.  For  sixty  or  seventy  days 
ensuing  the  summer  solstice,  they  prevail  with  the  greatest  inten- 
sity, the  thermometer  ranging  between  90  and  95.  This  period  is 
tempestuous,  storms  almost  daily  occurring  on  the  Ohio,  and  these 
storms  rather  aggravate  than  moderate  the  heat.  Rain  is  some- 
times brought  by  the  south  and  south-west  winds,  and  sometimes  is 
formed  by  the  vapours  rising  copiously  from  the  river  and  the 
immense  forest  that  overshadows  all  the  country.  The  rain, 
which  descends  in  torrents,  gives  only  momentary  relief  to  the 
parched  soil,  and  the  heat  of  the  ensuing  day  obliging  it  to  reas- 
cend,  it  forms  heavy  morning  mists,  which  afterwards  become 
clouds,  and  thus  continually  renews  the  electrical  process.  The 
river  water  is  at  the  temperature  of  64  or  66.  After  a  night  of 
dead  calm,  a  breeze  is  called  up  from  the  west  or  south-west, 


CONSTANTIN  FRANCOIS  CHASSEBOENF  VoLNEY.  19 

between  eight  and  ten  in  the  morning,  which  dies  away  about  four 
in  the  afternoon. 

.  .  .Louisville  (Kentucky)  has  about  a  hundred  houses,  and  is  two 
miles  above  the  falls,  more  properly  the  rapids,  of  the  Ohio,  which 
I  passed  over  in  a  boat.  I  waited  here  eight  hours,  till  a  caravan 
wras  collected  of  four  or  five  horsemen,  necessary  to  travel  upwards 
of  100  miles  of  woods  and  meadows,  so  desart  as  not  to  contain  a 
solitary  hut. 

After  a  hasty  march  of  three  days,  we  reached  (August  2, 
1796)  Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash.  The  eye  is  at  first  presented 
with  an  irregular  savannah,  eight  miles  in  length  by  three  in 
breadth,  skirted  by  eternal  forests,  and  sprinkled  with  a  few 
trees,  and  abundance  of  umbelliferous  plants,  three  or  four  feet 
high.  Maize,  tobacco,  wheat,  barley,  squashes,  and  even  cotton, 
grow  in  the  fields  around  the  village,  which  contains  about  fifty 
houses,  whose  cheerful  white  relieves  the  eye,  after  the  tedious 
dusk  and  green  of  the  woods. 

These  houses  are  placed  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Wabash, 
here  about  two  hundred  feet  wide,  and  falling,  when  the  waters 
are  low,  twenty  feet  below  the  scite  of  the  town.  The  bank  of  the 
river  is  sloping  towards  the  savannah,  which  is  a  few  feet  lower: 
this  slope  is  occasioned  by  the  periodical  floods.  Each  house,  as  is 
customary  in  Canada,  stands  alone,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  court 
and  garden,  fenced  with  poles.  I  was  delighted  by  the  sight  of 
peach  trees  loaded  with  fruit,  but  was  sorry  to  notice  the  thorn 
apple,  which  is  found  in  all  the  cultivated  places  from  beyond 
Gallipolis.  Adjoining  the  village  and  river  is  a  space,  enclosed  by 
a  ditch  eight  feet  wide,  and  by  sharp  stakes  six  feet  high.  This  is 
called  the  fort,  and  is  a  sufficient  safeguard  against  surprises  from 
Indians. 

I  had  letters  to  a  principal  man  of  the  place,  by  birth  a  Dutch- 
man, but  who  spoke  good  French.  I  was  accommodated  at 
his  house,  in  the  kindest  and  most  hospitable  manner,  for  ten 
days.  The  day  after  my  arrival  a  court  was  held,  to  which  I 
repaired,  to  make  my  remarks  on  the  scene.  On  entering,  I  was 
surprised  to  observe  the  audience  divided  into  races  of  men,  in 
persons  and  feature  widely  differing  from  each  other.  The  fair 
or  light  brown  hair,  ruddy  complexion,  round  face,  and  plump 
body,  indicative  of  health  and  ease,  of  one  set,  were  forcibly 
contrasted  with  the  emaciated  frame,  and  meagre  tawny  visage  of 
the  other:  the  dress,  likewise,  of  the  latter  denoted  their  indigence. 
I  soon  discovered  that  the  former  were  new  settlers  from  the 


20  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

neighbouring  states,  whose  lands  had  been  reclaimed  five  or  six 
years  before,  while  the  latter  were  French,  of  sixty  years  standing 
in  the  district,  The  latter,  three  or  four  excepted,  knew  nothing  of 
English,  while  the  former  were  almost  as  ignorant  of  French.  I 
had  acquired,  in  the  course  of  a  year,  a  sufficient  knowledge  of 
English  to  converse  with  them,  and  was  thus  enabled  to  hear  the 
tales  of  both  parties. 

The  French,  in  a  querulous  tone  recounted  the  losses  and  hard- 
ships they  had  suffered,  especially  since  the  last  Indian  war,  in 
1788.  Between  that  period  and  the  peace  of  1763,  when  Eng- 
land obtained  Canada,  and  Spain  Louisiana,  they  enjoyed 
tranquillity  and  happiness,  under  the  protection  of  Spain.  Unmo- 
lested and  sequestered  in  the  heart  of  the  wilderness,  fifty  leagues 
from  the  nearest  post  on  the  Mississippi,  without  taxes,  and  in 
friendship  with  the  Indians,  they  passed  their  lives  in  hunting, 
fishing,  trading  in  furs,  and  raising  a  few  esculents  and  a  little 
corn  for  their  families.  Many  of  them  had  inter-married  with  the 
Indians,  whose  amity  was  by  these  ties  secured  and  strengthened, 
and  their  numbers  amounted  to  three  hundred  persons. 

During  the  revolutionary  war,  their  remote  situation  exempted 
them  from  all  its  evils,  till,  in  1782,  they  were  visited  by  a  detach- 
ment from  Kentucky,  who  plundered  and  insulted  them,  and  killed 
or  drove  off  the  cattle  which  formed  their  chief  wealth. 

The  peace  of  1783  gave  them  to  the  United  States,  under  whose 
benign  government  they  began  to  breathe  again;  but  unluckily  an 
Indian  war  commenced  in  1788,  and  siding  with  the  whites,  as 
duty  and  discretion  enjoined,  they  were  annoyed  by  the  savages, 
whose  animosity  was  embittered  by  the  remembrance  of  their 
ancient  friendship  and  alliance.  Their  cattle  were  killed,  their 
village  closely  beset,  and,  for  several  years,  they  could  not  carry 
the  plough  or  hoe  a  musket  shot  from  their  huts. 

Military  service  was  added  to  their  other  hardships;  but,  in 
1792,  the  compassion  of  the  federal  government  gave  four  hundred 
acres  of  land  to  every  one  who  paid  the  capitation,  and  a  hundred 
more  to  every  one  who  served  in  the  militia.  This  domain,  so 
ample  to  a  diligent  husbandman,  was  of  little  value  to  the  hunting 
Frenchmen,  who  soon  bartered  away  their  invaluable  ground  for 
about  30  cents  an  acre,  which  was  paid  to  them  in  goods,  on  which 
an  exorbitant  profit  was  charged.  This  land  was  of  the  best  qual- 
ity; it  sold  as  early  as  1796,  at  two  dollars  an  acre,  and  I  may 
venture  to  say  is  now  worth  at  least  ten.  Thus,  for  the  most  part, 
reduced  again  to  their  gardens,  or  the  little  homestead  which  was 


CONSTANTIN  FRANQOIS  CHASSEBOENF  VoLNEY.  21 

indispensable  to  their  subsistence,  they  had  nothing  to  live  on 
but  their  fruit,  potatoes,  maize,  and  now  and  then  a  little  game; 
and,  on  this  fare,  no  wonder  they  became  as  lean  as  Arabs.* 

They  complain  that  they  were  cheated  and  robbed,  and, 
especially  that  their  rights  were  continually  violated  by  the 
courts,  in  which  two  judges  only  out  of  five  were  Frenchmen,  who 
knew  little  of  the  laws  or  language  of  the  English.  Their  igno- 
rance, indeed,  was  profound.  Nobody  ever  opened  a  school 
among  them,  till  it  was  done  by  the  abbe  R.  a  polite,  well  educated, 
and  liberal  minded  missionary,  banished  hither  by  the  French 
revolution.  Out  of  nine  of  the  French,  scarcely  six  could  read  or 
write,  whereas  nine-tenths  of  the  Americans,  or  emigrants  from 
the  east,  could  do  both.  Their  dialect  is  by  no  means,  as  I  had 
been  previously  assured,  a  vulgar  or  provincial  brogue,  but  pretty 
good  French,  intermixed  with  many  military  terms  and  phrases, 
all  these  settlements  having  been  originally  made  by  soldiers. 
The  primitive  stock  of  Canada  was  the  regiment  of  Carignon. 
I  could  not  fix  with  accuracy  the  date  of  the  first  settlement  of 
Vincennes;  and,  notwithstanding  the  homage  paid  by  some  learned 
men  to  tradition,  I  could  trace  out  but  few  events  of  the  war  of 
1757,  though  some  of  the  old  men  lived  before  that  period.  I 
was  only  able  to  form  a  conjecture  that  it  was  planted  about  1735. 

These  statements  were  confirmed,  for  the  most  part,  by  the  new 
settlers.  They  only  placed  the  same  facts  in  a  different  point  of 
view.  They  told  me  that  the  Canadians,  for  by  that  name  the 
French  of  the  western  colonies  are  known  among  them,  had  only 
themselves  to  blame  for  all  the  hardships  they  complained  of. 
We  must  allow,  say  they,  that  they  are  a  kind,  hospitable,  soci- 
able set,  but  then  for  idleness  and  ignorance,  they  beat  the  Indians 
themselves.  They  know  nothing  at  all  of  civil  or  domestic  affairs: 
their  women  neither  sow,  nor  spin,  nor  make  butter,  but  pass  their 
time  in  gossipping  and  tattle,  while  all  at  home  is  dirt  and  dis- 
order. The  men  take  to  nothing  but  hunting,  fishing,  roaming  in 
the  woods,  and  loitering  in  the  sun.  They  do  not  lay  up,  as  we  do, 
for  winter,  or  provide  for  a  rainy  day.  They  cannot  cure  pork  or 
venison,  make  sour  crout  or  spruce  beer,  or  distil  spirits  from 
apples  or  rye,  all  needful  arts  to  the  farmer.  If  they  trade,  they 
try  by  exorbitant  charges  to  make  much  out  of  a  little;  for  little 

*ThIs  implies  that  hunger  or  spare  diet  makes  them  lean,  but  this  is  evidently 
absurd.  They  cannot  want  plenty  of  the  best  food,  and  are  probably  greater  eaters 
than  their  sleek  and  jolly  neighbors.  Their  thinness  must  be  owing  to  their  con- 
stitution or  their  activity. — Trans. 


22  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

is  generally  their  all,  and  what  they  get  they  throw  away  upon  the 
Indian  girls,  in  toys  and  baubles.  Their  time  is  wasted  too  in 
trifling  stories  of  their  insignificant  adventures,  and  journies  to 
town  to  see  their  friends.* 

When  the  peace  of  1793  incorporated  them  with  the  United 
States,  their  first  demand  was  a  commanding  officer,  and  hard  it 
was  to  make  them  comprehend  the  nature  of  elective  or  municipal 
government.- — Even  now  they  have  nobody  fit  to  govern  the  rest. 
They  will  not  learn  English,  and  it  is  not  worth  while  for  us  to 
learn  the  language  of  eighty  or  ninety  people,  who  may  leave  us 
to-morrow  for  Louisiana.  Indeed  they  would  be  wise  in  doing  so. 
for  their  indolence  will  never  be  a  match  for  our  industry. 
. .  .  My  stay  at  Vincennes  afforded  me  some  knowledge  of  the 
Indians,  who  were  there  assembled  to  barter  away  the  produce  of 
their  red  hunt.  There  were  four  or  five  hundred  of  them,  men, 
women,  and  children,  of  various  tribes,  as  the  Weeaws,  Payories, 
Sawkies,  Pyankishaws,  and  Miamis,  all  living  near  the  head  of  the 
Wabash.  This  was  the  first  opportunity  I  had  of  observing,  at 
my  leisure,  a  people  who  have  already  become  rare  east  of  the 
Allegheny.  It  was,  to  me,  a  new  and  most  whimsical  sight.  Bodies 
almost  naked,  tanned  by  the  sun  and  air,  shining  with  grease  and 
soot;  head  uncovered;  hair  coarse,  black,  and  straight;  a  face 
smeared  with  red,  blue,  and  black  paint,  in  patches  of  all  forms 
and  sizes;  one  nostril  bored  to  admit  a  ring  of  silver  or  copper; 
ear-rings,  with  three  rows  of  drops,  down  to  the  shoulders,  and 
passing  through  holes  that  would  admit  a  finger;  a  little  square 
apron  before,  and  another  behind,  fastened  by  the  same  string; 
the  legs  and  thighs  sometimes  bare,  and  sometimes  covered 
with  cloth  hose;  socks  of  smoke-dried  leather;  sometimes  a  shirt, 
with  short  loose  sleeves,  and  flowing  loosely  on  the  thighs,  of 
variegated  or  striped  cloth;  over  this  a  blanket,  or  a  square  piece 
of  cloth,  drawn  over  one  shoulder,  and  fastened  under  the  other,  or 
under  the  chin.  On  solemn  occasions,  or  for  war,  their  hair  is 
braided  with  flowers,  feathers,  or  bones.  The  warriors  have  their 
wrists  adorned  with  broad  metal  rings,  like  our  dog  collars,  and  a 
circle  round  their  heads,  of  buckles  or  beads.  They  carry  in  their 
hand  a  pipe,  knife  or  tomahawk,  and  a  little  looking-glass,  which 
they  examine  with  as  much  attention  and  complacency  as  any 
European  coquet.  The  females  are  a  little  more  covered  about  the 
loins.  They  carry  one  or  Iwo  children  behind  them  in  a  sort  of 

*Thus  they  speak  of  New  Orleans,  as  if  it  were  a  walk  of  half  an  hour,  though  it  is 
fifteen  hundred  miles  down  the  river. 


CONSTANTIN  FRANCOIS  CHASSEBOENF  VoLNEY,  23 

bag,  the  ends  of  which  are  tied  upon  their  forehead.  In  this 
respect  they  have  a  strong  resemblance  to  our  gypsies. 

The  men  and  women  roamed  all  day  about  the  town,  merely 
to  get  rum,  for  which  they  eagerly  exchanged  their  peltry,  their 
toys,  their  clothes,  and  at  length,  when  they  had  parted  with  their 
all,  they  offered  their  prayers  and  entreaties,  never  ceasing  to 
drink  till  they  had  lost  their  senses.  Hence  arise  ridiculous  scenes. 
They  will  hold  the  cup  with  both  hands,  like  monkies,  burst  into 
unmeaning  laughter,  and  gargle  their  beloved  cup,  to  enjoy  the 
taste  of  it  the  longer;  hand  about  the  liquor  with  clamorous 
invitations,  bawl  aloud  at  each  other,  though  close  together,  seize 
their  wives,  and  pour  the  liquor  down  their  throats,  and,  in 
short,  display  all  the  freaks  of  vulgar  drunkenness.  Sometimes 
tragical  scenes  ensue:  they  become  mad  or  stupid,  and  falling  in 
the  dust  or  mud,  lie  a  senseless  log  till  next  day.  We  found  them 
in  the  streets  by  dozens  in  the  morning,  wallowing  in  the  filth 
with  the  pigs.  It  was  rare  for  a  day  to  pass  without  a  deadly 
quarrel,  by  which  about  ten  men  lose  their  lives  yearly.  A 
savage  once  stabbed  his  wife,  in  four  places,  with  a  knife,  a  few 
paces  from  me.  A  similar  event  took  place  a  fortnight  before,  and 
five  such  the  preceding  year.  For  this,  vengeance  is  either  immedi- 
ately taken,  or  deferred  to  a  future  opportunity  by  the  relations 
of  the  slain,  which  affords  fresh  cause  for  bloodshed  and  treachery. 
I  at  first  conceived  the  design  of  spending  a  few  months  among 
them,  as  I  had  done  among  the  Bedwins;  but  I  was  satisfied  with 
this  sample,  and  those  the  best  acquainted  with  them  assured  me, 
that  there  was  no  Arabian  hospitality  among  them:  that  all  was 
anarchy  and  disorder.  The  greatest  chief  could  not  strike  or 
punish  the  meanest  warrior,  even  in  the  field,  and  at  home  nobody 
obeyed  him  but  his  own  wife  and  children.  They  dwell  separately, 
in  mistrust,  jealousy,  and  eternal  animosity.  With  them,  what 
they  want  they  have  a  right  to,  and  what  they  have  strength 
enough  to  seize  is  their  own.  Besides,  as  they  scarcely  made  pro- 
vision for  themselves,  a  stranger  would  run  the  risk  of  being 
starved. 

I  chiefly  regretted,  on  abandoning  my  scheme,  the  loss  of  an 
opportunity  for  gaining  some  knowledge  of  their  language,  and 
forming  a  vocabulary:  a  scheme  the  importance  of  which,  with 
respect  to  a  people  who  want  all  other  monuments,  I  have  else- 
where insisted  on.*  The  missionary  R.,  whom  I  have  already 

*See  my  Lectures  upon  History,  Lecture  V. 


24  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

mentioned,  having  failed  in  all  his  efforts  to  this  purpose,  left  me 
no  hopes  of  succeeding.  Some  of  the  people  of  Vincennes  are 
acquainted  with  the  Indian  dialects,  but  their  pronunciation  is  so 
bad,  and  their  ignorance  of  all  grammatical  distinctions  so  great, 
that  they  could  afford  him  no  aid. 


From.  Travels  in  America  performed  in  1806,  for  the 
purpose  of  exploring  the  rivers  Allegheny,  Monon- 
gahela,  Ohio  and  Mississippi,  and  ascertaining  the 
produce  and  condition  of  the  banks  and  vicinity,  by 
Thomas  Ashe,  Esq.  [1808],  pp.  232-33,  246-49. 

ASHE,  THOMAS. 

Thomas  Ashe  was  an  Englishman,  and  like  many  of  his  kind,  came  to 
America  for  the  purpose  of  travel  and  exploration.  He  arrived  here  in  1806, 
came  west,  explored  the  Allegheny,  Monongahela,  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Rivers.  His  sole  view  was  "to  examine  in  a  satisfactory  manner  this  new 
and  interesting  country." 

While  rather  plain  spoken  about  conditions  as  they  existed  here,  yet  his 
description  does  not  smack  of  undue  criticism.  His  letters,  published  in 
1808,  were  read  with  interest  by  emigrants  and  antiquarians. 

Fourteen  miles  from  the  North  Bend,  and  twenty-one  from 
Cincinnati,  I  passed  the  mouth  of  the  great  Miami;  on  the  right- 
hand  shore  from  it  is  the  Western  boundary  of  the  Ohio  State, 
and  the  Eastern  commencement  of  the  Indiana  territory,  which,  in 
a  short  time,  and  with  the  increase  of  population,  will  receive  the 
title  of  a  State  and  become  the  brightest  star  in  the  galaxy  of  the 
Union.  The  land  is  for  a  great  part  richly  wooded,  fertile,  and 
applicable  to  all  the  purposes  of  agriculture  and  extensive  and 
productive  improvement.  The  territory  is  upwards  of  six  hundred 
miles  square,  and  is  thus  copiously  watered;  on  the  north  by  the 
Lakes;  on  the  south  by  the  Ohio;  and  on  the  west  by  the  Missis- 
sippi. Through  it  also  runs,  generally  in  a  south  course,  the 
Wabash,  the  Illinois,  and  variety  of  creeks  and  streams.  .  . 

Mouth  of  the  Wabash,  Indiana  Territory. 

September,  1806. 

PREVIOUSLY  to  leaving  Louisville,  I  crossed  the  river  and  visited 
the  town  of  Jefferson,  which  is  also  seated  about  two  miles  above 
the  falls.  It  is  yet  very  small,  but  the  inhabitants  appear  deter- 
mined to  add  to  its  character  and  opulence,  being  now  employed 
in  forming  a  canal,  by  which  navigators  may  avoid  all  dangers, 
and  proceed  down  the  river  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  I  sur- 
veyed the  line  of  the  canal,  and  think  it  much  more  practicable 
than  that  marked  off  on  the  opposite  shore.  I  entertain  no  doubt 
of  the  commerce  of  the  river  being  adequate  to  the  support  of  both 
undertakings,  and  that  the  proprietors  will  be  hereafter  amply 
remunerated. 

(25) 


26  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

I  descended  the  falls  by  the  shore,  and  once  more  enjoyed  their 
grandeur,  though  from  a  different  point  of  view.  I  then  crossed 
over  to  my  boat,  which  lay  at  Clarksville,  a  small  settlement  lying 
near  the  eddy  formed  by  the  recoiling  flood.  It  is  as  yet  a  village 
of  no  importance,  however,  if  it  forms  the  mouth  of  the  intended 
canal  its  rise  is  certain.  Twenty-five  miles  from  Louisville,  I 
passed  the  mouth  of  Salt  River  on  the  Kentucky  shore.  All  I 
could  learn  respecting  it,  was,  that  it  received  its  name  from  the 
number  of  salines  on  its  banks,  which  impregnate  its  waters, 
when  in  a  low  state,  and  fifty-seven  miles  farther  down  I  put  into 
Blue  River  on  the  Indiana  side,  which  takes  its  name  from  its 
colour  being  of  a  fine  azure. 

In  the  whole  run  to  the  Wabash  of  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
two  miles,  effected  in  six  days,  and  I  made  little  or  no  stop,  and 
met  with  no  event  to  be  called  interesting.  I  very  strongly  per- 
ceived that  occurances  capable  of  affording  information  and 
anecdote  were  ceasing.  Above  the  falls,  the  banks  of  the  river 
are  enlivened  by  plantations,  towns,  and  villages;  below,  nothing 
is  seen  but  the  state  of  nature,  broken  at  vast  distances,  of  from 
twenty  to  thirty  miles,  with  wretched  huts,  the  residence  of  soli- 
tude and  misfortune.  Most  of  the  settlers  on  the  lower  parts 
were  criminals  who  either  escaped  from,  or  were  apprehensive  of, 
public  justice.  On  descending  the  river,  they  fix  on  some  invit- 
ing spot  without  ever  looking  after  the  proprietor  of  the  soil, 
erect  a  log-hut,  plant  a  little  corn,  make  salt  at  a  neighbouring 
saline;  coffee  from  the  wild  pea;  and  extract  sugar  from  the  maple 
tree.  In  time  they  extend  their  labours,  and  embrace  all  the 
necessaries  of  life.  Some  do  more — from  living  in  habits  of  indus- 
try they  lose  the  practise  of  vice,  and  learn  the  consequence  of 
virtue;  while  unhappily,  some  others  pursue  their  former  crimes, 
and  live  by  the  means  of  murder  and  the  plunder  of  various  boats. 

The  aspect  and  banks  of  the  river  in  the  late  run  I  have  made, 
are  nearly  similar  to  those  above  the  falls,  and  from  below  Pitts- 
burg.  The  banks  are  formed  of  a  chain  of  mountains;  some  rising 
up  and  above  the  rest;  and  some  are  so  low,  interwoven,  and  con- 
trasted, that  they  form  an  agreeable  diversity  of  hills  and  dales. 
From  several  points  of  view,  the  opposite  bank  looks  like  an 
immense  amphitheatre,  which  has  all  the  charms  that  can  be  pro- 
duced by  an  infinite  variety  of  the  most  sumptuous  trees  and 
shrubs,  reflecting  uncommon  beauties  on  each  other,  and  on  the 
bosom  of  their  favourite  flood.  Twenty  miles  below  Blue  River  I 
crossed  the  mouth  of  another  river  on  the  same  side.  I  believe  it 


THOMAS  ASHE.  27 

has  not  been  named.  The  navigation  of  the  three  last  rivers  I 
have  mentioned,  is  very  trifling.  Their  waters  are  low,  and 
broken  by  rocks  and  rapids. 

About  ninety  miles  below  the  Blue  River,  and  eight  hundred 
and  thirty-nine  from  Pittsburg,  is  Yellow-bank  Creek;  so  called 
from  the  banks  changing  its  general  colour  and  quality  of  a  black 
mould  to  a  bright  yellow  clay.  In  the  space  of  eight  miles  below 
this  creek,  I  passed  a  chain  of  islands,  six  in  number,  which  added 
much  to  the  effect  and  beauty  of  the  water,  and  gave  more  variety 
of  the  general  scene.  The  islands  were  richly  wooded,  as  are  all 
others  on  the  river.  Between  a  creek  called  Hacden's  and  the 
Yellow-bank,  which  maintains  its  colour  for  the  distance  of  a 
mile,  the  low  lands  commence.  The  high  hills,  which  up  the  river 
are  uniformly  to  be  met  with,  now  entirely  disappear,  and  there  is 
nothing  to  be  seen  on  either  hand  but  an  extensive  level  country. 
It  is  remarkable,  that  the  hills  should  subside  on  each  shore  exactly 
at  equal  distances  down,  and  in  a  similar  distinction  and  manner 
twenty-five  miles  from  the  Yellow-bank.  I  crossed  the  mouth  of 
Green  River  on  the  Kentucky  shore.  It  is  the  fine  water  which  I 
mentioned  in  my  last.  It  is  navigated  by  a  bateaux  at  one  season, 
and  by  flat  bottomed  boats  through  the  year.  The  lands  are 
healthy,  and  inhabited  by  a  stout  race  of  people.  Nearer  the  Ohio 
it  is  subject  to  inundation,  is  sickly,  and  thinly  settled.  Lower 
down,  twenty-five  miles  more,  I  came  to  a  place  called  the  Red 
Bank,  in  consequence  of  its  varying  from  the  general  colour,  and 
assuming  a  deep  red.  I  could  not  learn  that  any  mineral  or  any 
ore  had  ever  been  discovered  in  the  Red  or  Yellow-bank.  This 
colour  would  encourage  a  belief  that  they  contain  something 
analagous  to  ils  distinction  from  that  of  the  common  and  adjoin- 
ing soil.  The  United  States  should  order  such  appearances  to  be 
analized  and  explored.  At  the  Red  Bank,  which  is  included  in  a 
grant  by  Congress  to  one  Henderson,  of  two  hundred  thousand 
acres — a  town  is  laid  off.  Owing  to  a  remarkable  bend  in  the  river, 
though  the  distance  from  the  mouth  of  Green  River  to  Henderson 
by  water  is  twenty-five  miles,  yet  by  land  it  is  only  about  seven. 
Henderson  consists  of  about  twenty  houses,  and  inhabited  by  a 
people  whose  doom  is  fixed.  I  never  saw  the  same  number  of  per- 
sons look  so  languid,  emaciated  and  sick.  The  whole  settlement 
was  attacked  in  the  spring  by  the  ague,  which  subsided  in  a  nerv- 
ous fever,  and  is  now  followed  by  a  violent  and  wasting  flux. 

I  left  Henderson  with  the  commisseration  due  to  the  sufferings 
of  its  inhabitants,  and  after  a  run  of  fifteen  miles,  came  in  view  of 


28  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Diamond  Island,  which  is  by  far  the  finest  in  the  river,  and  perhaps 
the  most  beautiful  in  the  world.  It  is  higher  than  the  adjoining 
main  land,  containing  twenty-thousand  acres;  and  is  of  the  exact 
form  of  a  diamond,  whose  angles  point  directly  up  and  down,  and 
to  each  side  of  the  expanded  river.  The  shades,  views,  and  per- 
spective of  an  island  so  situated,  clothed  with  aromatic  shrubs, 
crowned  with  timber,  surrounded  by  water,  bounded  by  an 
extensive  and  delightful  country,  are  too  numerous,  varied,  and 
sublime,  to  come  under  the  controul  of  written  description. 

I  visited  the  island  in  several  directions,  and  found  established 
on  it  a  few  French  families,  who  live  nearly  in  the  original  Indian 
state  and  bestow  very  little  labour  on  the  ground.  They  have 
planted  a  few  peech-orchards  which  thrive  well,  as  do  every 
other  exotic  introduced.  Native  grapes  abound,  and  I  tasted 
wine  expressed  from  them,  which  was  as  good  as  any  inferior 
Bourdeaux.  Fish  are  innumerable  in  the  water,  and  swans,  ducks, 
and  geese  reside  eight  months  in  the  year  around  the  island.  It 
also  abounds  with  game  of  every  description,  and  is  often  visited 
by  herds  of  deer,  which  swim  from  the  main  land  to  enjoy  its 
fragrant  herbage  and  luxuriant  pasture. 

The  Wabash  enters  on  the  Indiana  or  N.  W.  side.  It  is  nine 
hundred  and  forty-nine  miles  from  Pittsburg,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  considerable  rivers  between  that  town  and  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio.  It  is  very  beautiful,  four  hundred  yards  wide  at  its  mouth, 
and  three  hundred  at  St.  Vineconne's,  which  is  one  hundred  miles 
above  the  mouth  in  a  direct  line.  Within  this  space  there  are  two 
small  rapids  which  give  very  little  obstruction  to  the  navigation. 
In  the  spring  and  autumn  it  is  passable  for  bateaux,  drawing  three 
feet  water;  four  hundred  and  twelve  miles  to  Ouiatona,  a  small 
French  settlement  on  the  west  side  of  the  river;  and  for  large 
canoes  it  is  navigable  for  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven  miles 
further,  to  the  Miami  carrying-place,  which  is  nine  miles  from  the 
Miami  village.  This  village  stands  on  Miami  River,1  which  empties 
into  the  S.W.  part  of  Lake  Erie.  The  communication  between 
Detroit  and  the  Illinois  and  Indiana  country,  is  up  Miami  River 
to  Miami  village;  thence,  by  land,  nine  miles  through  a  level 
country  to  the  Wabash,  and  through  the  various  branches  of  the 
Wabash  to  the  respective  places  of  distinction. 

A  silver  mine  has  been  discovered  about  twenty-eight  miles 
above  Ouiatonan,  and  salt-springs,  lime,  free-stone,  blue,  yellow 
and  white  clay,  are  found  in  abundance  on  this  river's  banks. 

I.     Now  called  Maumee. 


From  Travels  in  the  United  States  of  America,  in  the  years 
1806,  1807,  1809,  1810  and  1811,  by  John  Melish 
[1812],  Vol.  II,  pp.  150-57. 

MELISH,  JOHN. 

Mr.  Melish  was  an  English  merchant  who  early  became  interested  in  the 
business  possibilities  offered  in  the  United  States.  As  early  as  1798,  when 
on  a  trip  to  the  West  Indies,  he  began  taking  note  of  the  natural  and  geo- 
graphic conditions  peculiar  to  America.  A  few  years  later  he  made  an  ex- 
tensive trip  through  the  Atlantic  Coast  states,  going  as  far  south  as  Georgia, 
and  kept  careful  notes  of  his  travels.  Becoming  financially  interested  in 
an  American  business  undertaking,  he  studied  the  American  institutions  in 
great  detail.  On  all  of  his  journeys  1806-1807;  1808-1809,  he  kept  a  careful 
diary.  He  was  especially  interested  in  the  prospective  lines  of  communica- 
tion; the  political  and  economic  views  of  the  settlers;  their  attitude  toward 
Great  Britain,  etc.  Several  maps  were  charted,  and  published  along  with 
his  travels,  1812. 

LOUISVILLE,  being  the  principal  port  of  the  western  part 
of  the  state  of  Kentucky,  is  a  market  for  the  purchase  of  all  kinds 
of  produce,  and  the  quantity  that  is  annually  shipped  down  the 
river  is  immense.  A  few  of  the  articles,  with  the  prices  at  the  time 
that  I  was  there,  may  be  noticed.  Flour  and  meal  have  been 
quoted.  Wheat  was  62^  cents  per  bushel;  corn  50;  rye  42;  oats 
25;  hemp  4  dollars  50  cents  per  cwt.;  tobacco  2  dollars.  Horses 
25  to  100  dollars;  cows  10  to  15  dollars;  sheep  1  dollar  25  cents  to  5 
dollars;  negroes  about  400  dollars;  cotton  bagging  31 1/±  cents  per 
yard. 

As  to  the  state  of  society  I  cannot  say  much.  The  place  is 
composed  of  people  from  all  quarters,  who  are  principally  engaged 
in  commerce;  and  a  great  number  of  the  traders  on  the  Ohio  are 
constantly  at  this  place,  whose  example  will  be  nothing  in  favour 
of  the  young;  and  slavery  is  against  society  everywhere.  There  are 
several  schools,  but  none  of  them  are  under  public  patronage; 
and  education  seems  to  be  but  indifferently  attended  to.  Upon 
the  whole,  I  must  say,  that  the  state  of  public  morals  admits  of 
considerable  improvement  here;  but,  indeed,  I  saw  Louisville  at  a 
season,  when  a  number  of  the  most  respectable  people  were  out  of 
the  place.  Those  with  whom  I  had  business  were  gentlemen,  and 
I  hope  there  'are  a  sufficient  number  of  them  to  check  the  progress 
of  gaming  and  drinking,  and  to  teach  the  young  and  the  thought- 
less, that  mankind,  without  virtue  and  industry,  cannot  be  happy. 

JEFFERSONVILLE  is  situated  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
a  little  above  Louisville,  and  is  the  capital  of  Clark  county,  in 

(29) 
T— 2a 


30  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  Indiana  territory.  It  was  laid  out  in  1802,  and  now  contains 
about  200  inhabitants,  among  whom  are  some  useful  mechanics. 
The  United  States  have  a  land  office  at  this  place,  but  the  principal 
objects  of  my  inquiry  being  more  to  the  eastward,  I  did  not  visit 
it.  There  is  a  good  landing  at  Jeffersonville,  and,  as  the  best  pas- 
sage is  through  what  is  called  the  Indian  Shute,  it  is  probable  that 
this  place  will  materially  interfere  with  the  trade  of  Louisville, 
unless  it  be  prevented  by  a  plan  to  be  hereafter  noticed,  in  which 
case,  each  side  will  have  its  own  share  of  the  valuable  commerce  of 
this  river;  which,  as  it  is  yearly  encreasing,  cannot  fail  to  convert 
both  sides  of  the  Ohio  here  into  great  settlements. 

CLARKSVILLE,  a  small  village,  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  falls 
on  the  Indiana  side,  as  is  SHIPPINGPORT,  on  the  Kentucky  side; 
and  both  answer  for  re-shipping  produce  after  vessels  pass  the 
falls. 

THE  FALLS,  or  rather  RAPIDS  OF  THE  OHIO,  are  occasioned 
by  a  ledge  of  rocks,  which  stretches  quite  across  the  river;  and 
through  which  it  has  forced  a  passage  by  several  channels.  The 
descent  is  only  22  feet  in  the  course  of  two  miles,  and  in  high  water 
is  only  to  be  perceived  in  the  encreased  velocity  of  the  current, 
when  the  largest  vessels  pass  over  it  in  safety.  When  I  was  there, 
the  water  was  low,  and  I  observed  three  different  passages,  of 
which  that  on  the  Indiana  side,  called  Indian  Shute,  is  said  to  be 
the  best;  the  middle  one  next  best;  the  one  on  the  Kentucky  side 
cannot  be  passed,  except  when  the  water  is  pretty  full.  But 
when  the  water  is  very  low,  they  are  all  attended  with  danger,  'ess 
or  more,  of  which  we  saw  an  instance  in  a  boat  that  came  down  the 
river  along  with  us.  Her  cargo  was  unloaded  at  Louisville,  and 
she  proceeded  down  the  river;  but,  on  taking  the  stream,  she  struck 
on  the  rocks,  and  lay  there  a  wreck,  when  I  came  away.  Good 
pilots  have  been  appointed  to  carry  vessels  over  the  falls. 

On  visiting  this  place,  a  question  immediately  occurs:  Why 
is  a  canal  not  cut  here,  which  would  remove  the  only  obstruction 
to  the  trade  of  this  fine  river?  It  appears  that  the  subject  has  been 
long  in  contemplation,  and  a  company  was  incorporated  by  the 
legislature  of  Kentucky  to  carry  it  into  effect.  The  ground  has 
been  surveyed,  and  no  impediment  has  been  suggested  to  the 
execution  of  the  plan,  except  that  there  is  a  danger  of  the  locks 
being  injured  by  the  freshets  in  the  river,  which,  however,  can  be 
guarded  against.  But  sufficient  funds  have  not  yet  been  raised, 
and  it  is  said  that  an  opinion  prevails  here,  that  the  execution  of  a 
canal  would  hurt  the  trade  of  Louisville.  As  to  funds,  there  should 
be  no  lack,  for  this  is  an  object  of  national  utility,  in  which  the 


JOHN  MELISH.  31 

rich  states  of  Kentucky,  Virginia,  Pennsylvania,  and  Ohio  are 
particularly  interested.  No  very  great  sura  can  be  wanted  to  cut  a 
canal,  with  only  22  feet  fall,  the  distance  of  two  miles,  in  a  situa- 
tion where  stones  are  plenty;  and  if  it  is  found  that  individuals 
would  not  wish  to  embark  their  capital  in  it,  there  is'no  question 
but  the  United  States,  and  the  individual  states  noticed,  would 
fill  up  the  subscription,  were  the  matter  judiciously  laid  before 
them.  As  to  the  supposition  that  it  would  hurt  the  trade  of  Louis- 
ville, if  it  exists,  it  is  founded  on  very  narrow  policy,  and  is  just  as 
correct  an  idea,  as  that  a  good  turnpike  road  leading  through  a 
town,  will  hurt  the  trade  of  that  town.  A  free  communication 
through  a  country  is  favourable  to  every  portion  of  that  country; 
and  were  a  canal  cut  upon  the  Kentucky  side  here,  it  would  not 
only  counter-balance  the  benefit  arising  to  the  other  side  from  the 
Indian  Shute,  but  would  be  productive  of  advantages  to  Louis- 
ville, that  at  present  cannot  be  estimated.  The  mills  alone  that 
might  be  erected,  and  set  in  motion,  by  a  judicious  application  of 
the  water,  would  be  of  more  intrinsic  value  than  a  gold  mine. 

The  following  table,  exhibiting  the  commerce  on  the  Ohio,  is 
extracted  from  the  Pittsburg  Navigator,  and  shows  the  import- 
ance of  this  place,  and  the  vast  utility  of  a  canal. 

Commerce  of  the  Ohio  from  November  24,  1810,  to  January 
24,  1811. 

In  these  two  months  197  flat-boats,  and  14  keel-boats  descended 
the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  carrying 

18 , 611  bbls.  flour  681 , 900  Ibs.  pork  in  bulk 

520  bbls.  pork  4 , 609  Ibs.  bacon 

2 , 373  bbls.  whisky  59  Ibs.  soap 

3 , 759  bbls.  apples  300  Ibs.  feathers 

1 , 085  bbls.  cyder  400  Ibs.  hemp 

721  bbls.  cyder  royal  1 , 484  Ibs.  thread 

43  bbls.  cyder — wine  154,000  Ibs.  rope-yarn 

323  bbls.  peach-brandy  20 , 784  Ibs.  bale-rope 

46  bbls.  cherry-bounce  27 , 700  yards  bagging 

17  bbls.  vinegar  4 , 619  yards  tow-cloth 

143  bbls.  porter  479  coils  tarred  rope 

62  bbls.  beans  500  bushels  oats 

67  bbls.  onions  1 , 700  bushels  corn 

20  bbls.  ginseng  216  bushels  potatoes 

200  groce  bottled  porter  817  hams  venison 

260  gallons  Seneca  oil  14 , 390  tame  fowls 

1 , 526  Ibs.  butter  155  horses 

180  Ibs.  tallow  286  slaves 

64 , 750  Ibs.  lard  18 , 000  ft.  cherry  plank 

6 , 300  Ibs.  beef  279 , 300  ft.  pine  plank 
4, 433  Ibs.  cheese 


32  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Also,  a  large  quantity  of  potter's  ware,  ironmongery,  cabinet- 
work, shoes,  boots,  and  saddlery;  the  amount  of  which  could  not  be 
correctly  ascertained. 

The  country  round  Louisville  is  rich,  but  it  is  not  well  drained 
nor  cultivated,  and  is  consequently  subject  to  fever  and  ague  in 
the  fall.  There  are  a  great  many  ponds  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  town;  at  one  of  them,  I  observed  a  rope-walk  erecting  and  the 
people  were  draining  the  pond,  by  sinking  a  deep  well,  and  letting 
the  water  run  into  it,  which  answered  the  purpose  remarkably 
well.  It  would  appear  hence,  that  the  water  filtrates  to  the  river 
below  ground,  and  perhaps  this  plan  might  be  generally  adopted. 

I  am  persuaded  that  nothing  but  draining  is  wanted  to  render 
Louisville  quite  healthy,  and  one  of  the  most  agreeable  situations 
on  the  Ohio  river. 

BEING  now  at  the  ne-plus-ultra  of  my  journey  to  the  westward. 
I  shall  here  take  a  brief  view  of  the  western  territories. 

INDIANA  TERRITORY. 

Is  situated  between  north  latitude  37°  47'  and  41°  50';  and 
west  longitude  7°  40'  and  10°  45'.  Its  greatest  length  is  284 
miles,  and  its  breadth  155.  Its  area  is  39,000  square  miles;  or 
24,960,000  acres. 

The  face  of  the  country  is  hilly,  not  mountainous,  and  the 
scenery  is  said  to  be  rich  and  variegated,  abounding  with  plains 
and  large  prairies. 

The  principal  river  is  the  WABASH,  which  is  said  to  be  a  beau- 
tiful stream,  280  yards  broad  at  its  outlet,  and  navigable  upwards 
of  220  miles.  It  rises  near  the  boundary  line  between  the  state  of 
Ohio  and  the  Indiana  Territory,  about  100  miles  from  lake  Erie, 
where  there  is  a  portage  of  only  eight  miles  between  it  and  the 
Miami  of  the  lakes.  Its  course  is  nearly  south-west,  and  the  dis- 
tance it  runs,  including  its  windings,  is  not  less  than  500  miles.  A 
great  many  tributary  stream%  flow  into  it,  the  chief  of  which  is 
White  river,  upwards  of  200  miles  long.  Tippacanoe  river,  near 
which  are  the  largest  settlements  of  Indians  in  the  territory,  falls 
into  the  Wabash;  and  it  is  near  the  outlet  of  that  river  where  the 
Prophet  is  at  present  collecting  his  forces. 

The  soil  is  said  to  be  generally  rich  and  fertile. 

The  climate  is  delightful,  except  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
marshes,  chiefly  confined  to  the  lower  parts  of  the  territory. 

The  settlements  commenced  about  12  or  14  years  ago,  and  have 


JOHN  MELISH.  33 

made  considerable  progress,  though  they  have  been  retarded  by 
the  settlement  of  the  fertile  and  beautiful  state  of  Ohio,  which  is 
situated  between  this  and  the  old  states. 

The  greater  part  of  the  territory  is  yet  subject  to  Indian 
claims.  Where  they  have  been  extinguished,  and  the  white  settle- 
ments have  been  made,  it  is  divided  into  four  counties,  and  22 
townships,  the  greater  part  of  which  are  on  the  Ohio;  and  some  few 
on  the  Wabash  and  White-water  river.  The  inhabitants  amounted 
by  the  census  of  1800,  to  5,641;  they  now  amount  to  24,520  being 
an  increase  of  18,879  in  10  years. 

The  principal  town  is  VINCENNES,  on  the  Wabash.  It  is  an 
old  settlement,  and  the  inhabitants  are  mostly  of  French  extrac- 
tion; they  amounted,  by  last  census,  to  670.  The  greater  part  of 
the  others  have  been  noticed. 

The  agriculture  of  the  territory  is  nearly  the  same  as  that  of 
the  state  of  Ohio.  Every  kind  of  grain,  grass,  and  fruit  comes  to 
maturity,  and  towards  the  southern  pait  of  it  considerable  crops 
of  cotton  are  raised,  though  only  for  domestic  use. 

As  the  inhabitants  make  nearly  all  their  clothing,  they  have 
little  external  trade.  What  little  they  have  is  down  the  river  to 
New  Orleans. 

This,  in  common  with  the  other  territories,  is  under  the  imme- 
diate controul  of  the  government  of  the  United  States.  It  has  a 
certain  form  of  government  prescribed  by  a  special  ordinance  of 
congress,  by  which  the  religious  and  political  rights  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  community  are  guaranteed.  In  this  ordinance  it  is 
declared:  That  no  person  demeaning  himself  in  a  peaceable  and 
orderly  manner  shall  ever  be  molested  on  account  of  his  religion. 
The  inhabitants  shall  always  be  entitled  to  the  benefits  of  the  writ 
of  habeas  corpus,  and  the  trial  by  jury.  All  offenses  shall  be 
bailable,  unless  they  are  capital.  Fines  shall  be  moderate. 
Religion,  morality,  and  knowledge,  being  necessary  to  good  govern- 
ment and  the  happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and  the  means  of 
education  shall  for  ever  be  encouraged.  Good  faith  shall  always 
be  observed  to  the  Indians,  and  their  lands  shall  never  be  taken 
from  them  without  their  consent.  The  navigable  waters  leading 
into  the  Mississippi  and  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  carrying  places 
between  the  same,  shall  be  common  highways,  and  for  ever  free, 
as  well  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  said  territories  as  to  the  citizens  of 
the  United  States,  and  those  of  any  other  states  that  may  be 
admitted  into  the  confederacy,  without  any  tax,  impost,  or  duty 

T — 3 


34  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

therefor.  Whenever  any  of  the  territories  shall  have  60,000  free 
inhabitants  they  shall  be  erected  into  a  state,  to  be  admitted,  by 
its  delegates,  into  the  congress  of  the  United  States,  on  an  equal 
footing  with  the  original  states.  Slavery  was  originally  pro- 
hibited, but  the  law  has  been  relaxed  in  favour  of  the  new- 
settlers  who  have  slaves,  and  there  are  now  237  slaves  in  this 
territory. 


From  Travels  in  the  interior  of  America  in  the  years  1809, 
1810  and  1811;  including  a  description  of  upper 
Louisiana,  together  with  the  states  of  Ohio,  Ken- 
tucky, Indiana  and  Tennessee,  with  the  Illinois  and 
western  territories,  by  John  Bradbury,  [Liverpool, 
1817],  pp.  307-10. 

BRADBURY,  JOHN. 

John  Bradbury,  a  member  of  the  Liverpool  Philosophical  Society,  and 
later,  of  the  Xew  York  Philosophical  and  Literary  Societies,  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1809,  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  botanical  study  of  the 
recently  acquired  Louisiana  Territory.  He  was  encouraged  in  this  work  by 
President  Jefferson  and  established  his  headquarters  in  St.  Louis.  For  three 
years,  1809,  1810  and  1811,  he  was  engaged  in  this  work.  His  results  were 
not  published  until  1817,  due  to  loss  of  health  which  he  suffered  from  the 
trip,  and  the  war  that  occurred  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain. 

The  work  represents  an  earnest  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  author,  and 
stands  as  one  of  the  best  scientific  studies  of  the  early  days. 

The  more  northerly  parts  of  the  states  of  Ohio  and  Indiana, 
together  with  the  whole  of  the  Illinois  and  western  territories, 
including  an  area  of  about  128,130,000  acres,  comprehends  that 
part  which,,  in  the  beginning  of  this  article,  has  been  noticed  as 
possessing  a  different  character  in  its  natural  state.  The  original 
state  of  the  region  already  spoken  of  was  that  of  a  continued 
forest,  not  convertible  into  a  state  fit  for  cultivation  without 
great  pains  and  labour.  This  region  is  an  assemblage  of  woodland 
and  prairie  or  savannas  intermixed ;  the  portions  of  each  varying  in 
extent,  but  the  aggregate  area  of  the  prairies  exceeding  that  of  the 
woodland  in  the  proportion  of  three  or  four  to  one.  The  soil  of 
this  part  is  inferior  to  none  in  North  America,  or  perhaps  in  the 
world.  In  a  state  of  nature,  these  prairies  are  covered  with  a 
luxuriant  growth  of  grass  and  herbaceous  plants,  affording  a  most 
abundant  supply  of  food  for  the  stock  of  the  new  settler;  and  it  is 
worthy  of  notice,  that  any^  part  of  these  prairies,  when  constantly 
fed  on  by  cattle,  becomes  covered  with  white  clover  and  the  much 
esteemed  blue  grass  (Poa  compressa)  as  frequent  pasturing  seems 
to  give  those  plants  a  predominance  over  all  others. 

In  the  geological  formation,  this  country  also  differs  in  some 
degree  from  the  one  entirely  covered  with  wood  in  its  natural 
state.  The  surface  is  much  more  level,  and  the  strata  more  reg- 
ular and  undisturbed.  In  general  the  order  of  the  strata  is  sand 
lying  on  sand-stone,  afterwards  lime-stone,  beneath  which  is 

(35~> 


36  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

argillaceous  schist  lying  on  coal.  For  the  settler  whojs  not  habit- 
ually accustomed  to  the  felling  of  trees,  and  who  has  the  courage 
to  fix  himself  on  wild  land,  this  is  by  much  the  best  part  of  the 
United  States,  excepting  Upper  Louisiana.  If  he  places  his  house 
at  the  edge  of  one  of  these  prairies,  it  furnishes  him  food  for  any 
number  of  cattle  he  may  choose  to  keep.  The  woodland  affords 
him  the  materials  necessary  for  his  house,  his  fire,  and  fences,  and 
with  a  single  yoke  of  oxen,  he  can  in  general  immediately  reduce 
any  part  of  his  prairie  land  to  a  state  of  tillage.  Had  this  portion 
of  the  country  been  placed  at  no  greater  distance  from  the  Alle- 
ghanies  than  the  woody  region,  it  would  undoubtedly  have  been 
the  first  settled;  but  being  situated  from  500  to  1,000  miles  beyond 
those  mountains,  and  separated  from  them  by  one  of  the  most 
fertile  countries  in  the  world,  the  consequence  is,  that  emigrants 
are  so  well  satisfied  with  what  advantages  a  first  view  of  the  coun- 
try presents,  that  they  are  anxious  to  sit  down  as  soon  as  possible. 
Another  reason  why  this  portion  of  the  wild  lands  has  not  been 
more  rapidly  settled,  is  the  total  indifference  of  the  American 
farmer  to  the  present  or  future  value  of  coal.  This  arises  in 
part  from  his  prejudice  against  the  use  of  it  for  fuel,  but  more 
from  his  want  of  knowledge  of  its  vast  importance  to  other  coun- 
tries, and  a  consequent  want  of  foresight.  The  farmer  who  is 
possessed  of  500  acres  of  land,  expects  that  in  time  it  will  prob- 
ably be  divided  into  ten  properties  or  farms  by  his  posterity,  each 
of  which  must  be  supplied  with  timber  for  fuel  and  fences:  he 
wishes,  therefore,  that  the  land  unreclaimed  may  remain  covered 
with  timber,  as  a  reserve  for  posterity,  although  perhaps  he  has 
an  excellent  bed  of  coal  at  no  great  distance  beneath  the  surface. 
Nothing  so  strongly  indicates  the  -superiority  of  the  wrestern 
country,  as  the  vast  emigrations  to  it  from  the  eastern  and 
southern  states.  In  passing  through  the  upper  parts  of  Virginia,  I 
observed  a  great  number  of  farms  that  had  been  abandoned,  on 
many  of  which  good  houses  had  been  erected,  and  fine  apple  and 
peach  orchards  had  been  planted.  On  enquiring  the  reason,  I 
was  always  informed  that  the  owners  had  gone  to  the  western 
country.  From  the  New  England  states  the  emigrations  are  still 
more  numerous.  They  mostly  cross  the  Hudson  river  betwixt 
Albany  and  Newburg,  and  must  pass  through  Cayuga  in  their  way 
to  Pittsburg.  I  was  informed  by  an  inhabitant  of  Cayuga,  in 
April,  1816,  that  more  than  15,000  waggons  had  passed  over 
the  bridge  at  that  place  within  the  last  eighteen  months,  contain- 
ing emigrants  to  the  western  country. 


From  A  topographical  description  of  the  Indiana  terri- 
tory, from  Jervasse  Cutler's  Book  of  travels, 
Boston,  1812. 

CUTLER,  JERVASSE. 

Major  Jer vasse  Cutler  was  a  son  of  the  famous  Reverend  Manassah 
Cutler.  Through  his  father,  who  was  one  of  the  three  directors  of  the  Ohio 
Land  Company,  he  became  interested  in  the  western  country.  He  first 
entered  the  northwest  territory7  in  1788.  He  experienced  all  the  dangers  and 
hardships  of  a  frontiersman;  later  entered  military  life,  received  the  appoint- 
ment of  major,  and  was  later  stationed  at  New  Orleans.  In  1812  he  pre- 
pared and  published  a  Topographical  Description  of  the  State  of  Ohio, 
Indiana  Territory,  etc.  It  combines  his  own  observations,  with  the  reports 
gathered  from  other  travellers. 

This  part1  of  the  northwestern  country  was  constituted  a 
territorial  government,  by  an  act  of  Congress,  passed  the  7th  day 
of  May,  1800,  and  was  bounded  eastwardly  by  the  following  line  of 
separation;  viz.  "All  that  part  of  the  territory  of  the  United 
States,  northwest  of  the  Ohio  river  which  lies  westward  of  a  line 
beginning  at  the  Ohio,  opposite  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky 
river,  and  running  thence  to  fort  Recovery,  and  thence  north  until 
it  shall  intersect  the  territorial  line  between  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  shall,  for  the  purpose  of  temporary  government,  con- 
stitute a  separate  territory,  and  be  called  the  Indiana  Territory. 
And  Saint  Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash  river,  shall  be  the  seat  of 
the  government."  Only  the  eastern  boundary  is  named  in  the 
act,  and  the  Indian  claim  of  a  large  portion  of  the  Territory  is  not 
extinguished.  The  whole  tract,  agreeable  to  this  line,  is  bounded 
south  by  the  Ohio,  west  by  the  Mississippi,  and  north  by  the  line 
between  the  United  States  and  Canada,  which  makes  the  extent 
of  this  Territory  considerably  greater  than  the  State  of  Ohio. 

The  general  face  of  the  country  approaches  to  a  level,  but  some 
parts  of  it  are  hilly.  It  has  a  number  of  large,  navigable  rivers 
meandering  through  it  to  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi,  and  many 
smaller  streams,  some  of  which  run  into  the  lakes. 

The  Wabash  is  a  large  river,  rising  near  the  head  waters  of  the 
Tiver  St.  Joseph,  and  the  Miami2  at  the  lakes,  and  running  in  a 
southwesterly  direction  empties  into  the  Ohio,  about  four  hundred 
and  seventy  miles  below  the  Great  Miami  river.  It  is  four  hun- 
dred yards  wide  at  the  mouth,  and  navigable  for  keel  boats,  about 

1.  Indiana  Territory. 

2.  Maumee.  (37) 


38  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

four  hundred  miles,  to  Ouiatan,  an  ancient  French  village;  and 
from  this  village,  with  small  craft,  to  a  portage  on  a  south  branch, 
which  forms  a  communication  with  the  Miami  that  runs  into 
Lake  Erie.  This  portage  is  eight  miles,  and  comes  to  the  Miami 
near  Fort  Wayne. 

From  a  north  branch,  by  a  short  portage,  a  communication  is 
made  with  the  river  St.  Joseph,  running  into  Lake  Michigan. 
The  Wabash  is  replenished  with  numerous  tributary  streams,  and 
has  generally,  a  gentle  current  above  Saint  Vincennes.  Below 
are  several  rapids.  Those  which  principally  obstruct  the  naviga- 
tion are  between  Saint  Vincennes  and  White  river,  called  the  great 
Rapids.  Near  the  village  Ouiatan,  it  is  said  a  silver  mine  has  been 
discovered,  which  it  is  apprehended  will  prove  valuable.  About 
forty  miles  below  the  village  comes  in  the  river  Vermillion  Jaune. 
On  this  river  is  the  residence  of  the  much  famed  Indian  prophet. 
The  town  in  which  he  lives  is  large  for  an  Indian  village,  and  has 
received  the  name  of  Prophet's  town.  Much  of  the  land  on  the 
Wabash  is  rich  and  well  timbered,  but  towards  the  head  waters 
there  is  less  timber,  and  very  fertile  and  extensive  prairies.  A 
white  and  blue  clay  of  an  excellent  quality  is  said  to  abound  on 
this  river.  There  are  many  salt  springs,  and  plenty  of  lime  and 
free  stone. 

Saint  Vincennes  is  a  handsome  town,  about  an  hundred  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  situated  on  the  east  bank,  upon  a 
beautiful,  level,  and  rich  spot  of  ground.  It  is  the  largest  town  in 
the  Territory,  and  is  made  the  seat  of  government.  This  was  an 
ancient  French  Fortress,  called  Post  Saint  Vincennes.  Since 
the  American  revolution  the  town  has  been  repaired  and  enlarged, 
and  is  now  a  very  thriving  place,  but  the  inhabitants  still  are 
mostly  French.  There  are  more  than  an  hundred  houses,  some  of 
which  are  built  of  free  stone,  in  a  handsome  styl  >,  a  considerable 
number  of  merchantile  stores,  a  post  office  and  printing  office. 
Here,  a  profitable  trade  is  carried  on  in  furs  and  peltry.  The 
situation  is  healthy,  the  winters  mild,  and  the  rich  and  highly 
cultivated  lands  around  it  are  delightful. 

About  forty  miles  from  Saint  Vincennes,  in  a  southwesterly 
direction,  is  the  Great  Saline,  so  called,  where  salt,  in  large  quanti- 
ties is  made.  It  is  situated  in  hilly  land,  on  a  stream  of  water 
which  flows  into  the  Ohio.  The  land  is  still  owned  by  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States,  but  rented  to  those  who  carry  on  the 
salt  works,  and  who  are  said  to  obligate  themselves  to  make, 
at  least,  a  certain  quantity  annually,  and  are  not  permitted  to 


JERVASSE  CUTLER.  39 

sell  it  for  more  than  at  a  stipulated  price.  The  waters  in  this 
Saline  are  said  to  have  double  the  strength  of  those  at  the  great 
salt  springs  on  the  Scioto  river. 

The  land  on  the  Indiana  side,  bordering  on  the  Ohio  river,  from 
the  Great  Miami  nearly  to  the  Mississippi,  a  distance  of  about 
six  hundred  miles,  is  generally  hilly  and  broken,  but  some  excellent 
bottoms,  of  different  extent,  are  interspersed.  From  a  small  dis- 
tance above  fort  Massai  and  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  the 
land  gradually  becomes  level,  forming  a  rich  and  delightful 
prairie.  In  this  distance,  there  are  many  small  streams,  but  no 
considerable  river,  excepting  the  Wabash,  which  falls  into  the 
Ohio. 

But  on  the  opposite  side,  within  a  less  distance  three  large, 
navigable  rivers,  besides  numerous  smaller  streams,  contribute 
their  waters  to  the  Ohio.  The  first  is  Kentucky  river,  which  comes 
in  about  seventy  miles  following  the  bends  of  the  river  below  the 
Great  Miami,  is  ninety  yards  wide  at  its  mouth,  and  the  same 
width,  when  the  water  is  high,  eighty  miles  above.  It  is  navig- 
able for  loaded  boats,  at  a  high  stage  of  the  water,  two  hundred 
miles.  The  second  is  the  Cumberland,  or  Shawnee  river,  which 
falls  into  the  Ohio  about  five  hundred  miles  below  the  Kentucky 
river,  and  four  hundred  miles  below  the  Rapids,  and  is  three  hun- 
dred yards  wide  at  its  mouth.  There  being  no  obstructions,  and 
having  a  fine  gentle  current,  ships  of  four  hundred  tons  can  descend 
in  times  of  floods  from  the  distance  of  about  four  hundred  miles 
into  the  Ohio.  The  third  is  the  Tennessee,  or  Cherokee  river, 
which  enters  the  Ohio,  about  twelve  miles  below  the  Cumber- 
land; and  is  five  hundred  yards  wide  at  its  mouth.  This  is  the 
largest  river  that  empties  into  the  Ohio.  It  is  computed  to  be 
navigable  for  boats  one  thousand  miles,  and  will  admit  vessels 
of  considerable  burden  as  far  as  the  Muscle  Shoals,  which  is  two 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  its  mouth. 

On  the  Indiana  side  of  the  Ohio,  there  are  only  some  scatter- 
ing settlements,  excepting  Jeffersonville,  and  Clarksville,  two  small 
villages,  at  the  Rapids,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  below  the  Great 
Miami.  Jeffersonville  is  situated  in  the  bend  of  the  river,  on  a 
high  bank,  just  above  the  Rapids,  where  pilots  are  taken  off  for 
conducting  vessels  over  them.  It  is  a  post  town,  but  contains  only 
a  small  number  of  inhabitants,  and  probably  will  never  be  a  thriv- 
ing place.  Clarksville  is  another  small  village  immediately  below 
the  Rapids,  and  opposite  the  elbow  at  Shippingport.  In  time  it 
may  become  a  place  of  considerable  business.  On  the  opposite 


40  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

bank,  about  midway  between  these  two  villages  and  opposite  the 
Rapids,  is  Louisville,  which  is  much  larger,  and  bids  fair  to  become 
a  flourishing  town.  It  is  situated  on  an  elevated  plain,  and  con- 
tains about  one  hundred  and  fifty  houses,  a  printing  and  a  post 
office.  It  is  a  port  of  entry,  and  has  a  considerable  number  of 
mercantile  stores,  and  several  ware  houses  for  storing  goods. 
Shippingport  is  on  the  same  side,  at  the  foot  of  the  falls.  Here, 
boats  generally  make  a  landing  after  passing  the  Rapids.  Ship 
building  was  begun  and  was  carried  on  with  considerable  spirit 
here,  until  it  received  a  check  by  the  late  embargo  law.  Having 
an  excellent  harbour,  the  situation  appears  eligible  for  prosecut- 
ing this  business  to  advantage. 

The  Rapids  are  occasioned  by  a  ledge  of  rocks  extending 
entirely  across  the  river,  and  is  the  most  dangerous  place  for 
navigation,  in  the  whole  extent  of  the  Ohio  river.  The  distance 
over  them  is  about  two  miles,  and  the  descent  from  a  level  above 
is  twenty-two  feet  and  a  half.  When  the  water  is  high  the  fall  is 
only  perceived  by  an  increased  velocity  of  the  vessel,  which  is 
computed  to  be  at  the  rate  of  about  ten  or  twelve  miles  an  hour. 
When  the  water  is  low,  a  large  portion  of  the  rocks  are  seen  and 
it  is  then  that  the  passage  becomes  dangerous.  There  are  three 
channels.  One  is  on  the  North  side,  called  Indian  Schute,  and  is 
the  main  channel,  but  not  passable  when  the  water  is  high;  another 
is  near  the  middle  of  the  river  and  called  the  Middle  Schute,  and  is 
safe  and  easy  in  all  heights  of  water  above  the  middle  stage.  The 
third  is  on  the  south  side,  called  the  Kentucky  Schute,  and  is  only 
passable  when  the  water  is  high.  Immediately  above  the  falls,  in 
the  mouth  of  the  Beargrass  creek,  is  a  good  harbour,  having  twelve 
feet  of  water  in  the  lowest  stage  of  the  river.  At  the  foot  of  the 
falls  is  another  harbour,  called  Rock  Harbour,  with  water  sufficient, 
at  all  times,  for  vessels  of  any  burden.  These  two  harbours  are 
of  the  greatest  importance  to  those  who  have  occasion  to  navigate 
this  dangerous  passage. 

Opening  a  channel  for  the  passage  of  ships  by  the  Rapids  has 
been  seriously  contemplated;  which  would  be  of  immense  advan- 
tage to  the  trade  of  the  Ohio.  That  it  is  practicable  cannot  be 
doubted.  The  only  difficulty  seems  to  be  to  raise  a  fund  sufficient 
for  the  purpose.  It  has  been  principally  proposed  to  open  the 
canal  on  the  Kentucky  side,  to  commence  below  the  Beargrass 
creek,  and  enter  the  river  below  Shippingport,  a  distance  of  about 
one  mile  and  three  quarters;  and  that  it  should  be  sufficient  for 
ships  of  four  hundred  tons.  The  ground  through  which  it  would 


JERVASSE  CUTLER.  41 

pass  is  a  stiff  clay,  down  to  within  about  three  feet  of  the  floor  of 
the  canals  which  then  is  a  rock.  The  average  depth  of  the  canal  is 
computed  at  about  twenty-one  feet,  in  order  to  admit  a  column 
of  water  three  feet  by  twenty-four,  at  the  lowest  stage  of  the  river. 

In  the  Ohio  Navigator  a  very  accurate  description  is  given  of 
the  Rapids,  with  an  excellent  map  of  the  falls.  From  this  descrip- 
tion the  account  of  them  here  given,  is  principally  taken.  To 
this  very  valuable  work,  the  writer  is  indebted  to  many  observa- 
tions respecting  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers,  and  for  much 
information  in  regard  to  the  country  bordering  upon  them. 

In  passing  down  the  Ohio,  about  forty  miles  below  the  Wabash, 
a  curious  cave  is  seen  in  a  high  bank,  on  the  Indiana  side.3  Its 
mouth  opens  to  the  river,  and  when  the  water  is  high  it  nearly 
flows  into  it.  The  entrance  is  an  arch  in  a  rock  about  twenty- 
five  feet  high  in  the  centre,  eighty  feet  wide  at  the  base,  and  extend- 
ing back  from  the  opening  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet.  The 
mouth  is  darkened  by  several  large  trees  growing  before  it,  which 
gives  it  a  gloomy  and  solemn  appearance.  Passengers  usually  visit 
it,  and  have  engraved  on  the  sides  within  the  mouth,  a  great  num- 
ber of  names,  dates  and  other  inscriptions.  Indian  superstition 
and  other  fabulous  stories  reported  respecting  this  cave  do  not 
merit  a  repetition. 


3.  Indiana  territory  included  all  of  Illinois  at  that  time,  the  division  being  made 

i  sno 


in  1809 


From  Travels  through  the  western  country  in  the  Summer  of 
1816,  by  David  Thomas  [1819],  pp.  110-87, 
189-206,  207-33,  240-41. 

THOMAS,  DAVID. 

An  American  pomologist,  florist,  and  writer  on  agricultural  subjects 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1776.  He  later  removed  to  New  York  State 
and  there  became  interested  in  engineering  and  exploration.  In  1816,  he. 
in  company  with  Jonathan  Swan — a  merchant  of  Aurora — made  a  journey 
through  the  Wabash  region  in  the  New  Purchase.  When  the  "Travels" 
were  published  in  1817,  Dewitt  Clinton  of  New  York  was  so  attracted  by 
them  that  he  offered  Mr.  Thomas  the  position  of  chief  engineer  on  the  Erie 
Canal,  for  the  district  west  of  Rochester.  As  a  florist  and  pomologist  Mr. 
Thomas  had  few  equals  in  the  United  States.  He  was  a  very  important 
contributor  to  the  Genesee  Farmer,  and  did  much  to  advance  the  science  of 
farming  in  his  day. 

At  Meek's  Ferry,  below  Lohary  Island,  we  crossed  the  Ohio 
River,  and  landed  in  Indiana.  We  went  down  the  flats  half  a 
mile,  and  stopped  at  the  house  of  a  man,  from  the  state  of  New- 
York,  who  treated  us  to  ripe  morella  cherries.  The  trees  were 
large,  and  grew  in  two  fine  rows,  which  he  assured  us  had  only 
been  planted  five  years.  On  my  remarking  the  great  height  of  the 
sandy  flats,  on  which  his  house  stood,  he  pointed  to  a  mark  on  the 
wall,  about  four  feet  above  the  first  floor,  and  observed,  that  the 
river  had  been  there;  and  that  they  had  taken  refuge  on  the  neigh- 
bouring hills.  It  is  said  that  the  difference  between  high  and  low 
water  mark,  sometimes  equal  sixty  feet  perpendicular;  and  our 
observations  tend  to  give  credence  to  this  statement.  The  volume 
of  water  which  pours  down  the  channel  at  such  times,  must 
therefore  be  immense. 

Our  path  now  led  through  bars  into  a  vineyard  of  one  or  two 
acres,  and  the  vines  appeared  thrifty.  This  road  is  only  travelled 
by  horsemen.  The  rank  vegetation  of  the  river  flats  crowded  so 
close  as  sometimes  to  brush  both  sides  of  us  as  we  rode  along;  and 
indeed  everything  conspired  to  remind  us  of  being  in  a  new 
country.  After  a  traverse  of  three  or  four  miles  we  came  to  the 
Rising  Sun. 

This  village,  of  forty  or  fifty  houses,  is  built  on  an  easy  slope 
that  fronts  the  Ohio.  We  recollect  no  situation  more  pleasant. 
The  buildings  are  not  first-rate,  but  the  town  only  claims,  as  it 
were,  the  date  of  yesterday.  A  floating  grist-mill  was  anchored 
in  the  river,  near  the  shore;  and  the  float-boards  of  the  water- 
wheel  were  turned  by  the  current. 

(42) 


DAVID  THOMAS.  43 

On  leaving  the  river,  we  ascended  the  hills,  the  soil  of  which  is 
very  fertile,  and  the  vegetation  uncommonly  fine.  We  had  gazed 
at  the  majestic  beech  of  this  country,  three  feet  in  diameter,  with 
branches  of  a  great  size; — we  had  seen  the  honey  locust,  the  black 
walnut  and  the  horse  chestnut*  of  equal  magnitude; — and  here 
we  saw,  with  surprise,  the  black  locust  almost  a  rival  in  stature, 
with  grape-vines,  like  cables,  hanging  from  the  tops  of  the  trees 
in  every  direction. 

6  mo.  30. — I  have  avoided  remarks  on  our  treatment,  except 
where  gratitude  required  us  to  treasure  the  remembrance.  When 
our  fare  has  been  slim,  and  our  bills  high,  we  have  passed  on 
quietly,  in  the  hope  of  something  better.  Occurrences  of  this  kind 
are  but  trifles  of  a  moment;  and  my  only  motive,  for  departing 
in  one  instance  from  this  practice,  is  to  give  some  information 
which  the  untravelled  reader  may  wish  to  acquire. 

It  does  not  appear  that  any  regular  tavern  is  kept  on  these  hills; 
and  as  the  chief  part  of  the  inhabitants  have  arrived  since  the  war, 
at  evening,  we  were  induced  to  abide  at  the  first  place  where  food 
for  our  horses  could  be  procured.  Our  host  and  his  family  were 
very  civil  and  attentive;  but  on  awakening  from  the  first  sound 
sleep,  we  despaired  of  all  further  repose.  The  bugs  ran  riot.  Our 
friend  D.  S.  who  through  condescension  had  taken  the  floor  in  the 
evening,  with  a  saddle  under  his  head,  escaped  the  disturbance; 
but  we  were  kept  in  a  state  of  continual  activity.  Though  greatly 
fatigued  by  travelling,  we  saw,  through  the  chinks  between  the 
logs,  the  slow  approach  of  the  dawn  with  impatience,  and  long 
before  sunrise  resumed  our  journey. 

Our  road  led  for  several  miles  over  high,  level  land,  apparently 
cold  and  wet; — timbered  with  beech,  white  oak,  &c.  and  soon 
becoming  covered  with  briarsf  where  the  fields  are  neglected. 
The  aspect  of  things  is  discouraging  to  new  settlers.  What  their 
progress  will  be,  is  uncertain;  for  though  the  soil  is  moderately 
fertile,  and  well  adapted  to  grass,  all  the  improvements  are  very 
recent  and  scattering. 

It  is  remarkable,  that  on  descending  from  the  tops  of  the  hills, 
the  soil  becomes  excellent.  The  fact  is,  that  near  the  summit  level, 
the  superstratum  is  clay;  but  not  more  than  twenty  or  thirty  feet 

*This  is  called  "the  sweet  buck-eye,"  to  distinguish  it  from  the  kind  which  we  first 
noticed  on  the  Ohio.  Dr.  Drake  has  shewn  these  to  be  specifically  distinct,  and  has 
named  the  former  M.  maxima.  "It  frequently  arrives  to  the  height  of  one  hundred 
feet,  and  the  diameter  of  four." 

t.R«&us  villosus,  or  blackberry. 


44  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

below  it,  there  is  limestone  in  horizontal  strata.  In  the  side  of 
every  declivity,  at  that  depth,  this  rock  appears;  and  by  decompos- 
ing, imparts  to  the  soil  beneath  it,  a  dressing  of  marl.  These  con- 
stitute a  mixture  of  elementary  earths  which  cause  perpetual 
fertility. 

This  country,  including  much  of  that  above  Cincinnati,  and 
all  that  we  saw  of  Kentucky,  is  more  destitute*  of  durable  water 
than  any  other  region  that  we  have  traversed. 

Plants,  whose  features  are  new  to  me,  appear  almost  every  day. 
Some  occupy  but  a  small  region,  while  others  are  extensively 
scattered.  The  idea,  that  every  district  marked  by  small  differ- 
ences of  soil  and  climate,  has  plants  and  animals  peculiar,  presents 
itself  at  an  early  date  to  the  naturalist.  To-day,  I  first  observed 
the  southern  Aralia  (A.  spinosa)  and  some  are  twelve  feet  high. 
No  shrubbery  should  be  without  these  singular  and  beautiful 
plants. 

The  buffalo,  or  wild  clover,  grows  abundantly  among  the  bushes, 
on  the  fertile  though  narrow  flats  of  a  small  brook,  down  which 
the  road  winds.  It  appears  to  vegetate  earlier  than  the  white 
clover;  or  at  least,  the  seed  is  sooner  ripe. 

The  Columbo  root  (Frasera  Walteri)  which  abounds  between 
the  Sciota  and  the  Miami,  is  a  large  tetrandrous^  plant  four  or 
five  feet  in  height.  As  a  bitter  tonic,  I  am  told  that  it  is  much  used 
by  physicians  in  this  country;  and  some  consider  it  equal  in  effi- 
cacy to  the  imported.  I  first  noticed  it  on  the  oak  plains,  west  of 
the  Genesee  River;  and  it  is  also  found  on  the  hills  round  Short 
Creek;  but  we  have  seen  none  since  we  passed  Cincinnati. 

Half  a  mile  east  of  Indian  Kentucky,  we  saw  stones  of  the 
gun  fllint  kind,  in  the  road.  The  surface  is  chalky,  orange,  or  red. 
These  form  between  the  limestone,  a  regular  stratum  which  spreads 

*Dr.  Drake,  in  noticing  that  part  of  Kentucky  which  is  adjacent  to  Cincinnati, 
remarks,  that  "wells  cannot  be  dug  on  account  of  the  limestone  rocks,  which,  except  in 
the  valley  of  the  Ohio,  are  everywhere  found  at  the  depth  of  a  few  feet."  Water  was 
very  scarce,  when  we  were  at  Boone  Court  House;  and  of  this  place  he  adds  that 
"it  is  not  likely  to  be  of  any  consequence,  as  in  summer  and  autumn,  water,  even  for 
domestic  use,  cannot  be  had  within  the  distance  of  two  miles." 

It  is  evident  that  the  Ohio  River  never  wore  these  rocks  away  after  the  petrifac- 
tion was  complete. 

fDr.  Drake  says  that  Professor  Barton  proposed  to  call  it  Frasera  terticillata,  and 
he  has  adopted  the  alteration.  The  nanru-  is  very  appropriate.  It  is  founded  on  one 
of  the  most  striking  features  of  the  plant;  for  whorls  of  five  leaves,  a  few  inches  apart, 
surround  the  purple  stalk,  in  some  individuals  to  the  height  of  six  feet. 

The  former  specific  names  are  exceptionable.  Walter i  only  refers  to  a  book;  and 
Carolinen.tis  to  one  small  district  in  which  this  vegetable  is  indigenous.  Botanists, 
perhaps,  have  not  sufficiently  considered  the  impropriety  of  imposing  such  names  on 
species  which  are  scattered  over  extensive  regions. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  45 

over  a  large  tract  of  country.  Like  the  strata  in  Washington  county, 
it  is  visible  in  both  sides  of  every  little  valley  that  we  crossed. 
The  texture  is  excellent ;  and  these  give  fire  with  the  steel  equal  to 
the  imported  flints;  but  the  cracks,  or  lines  of  division,  are  numer- 
ous. Though  these  stones  are  silicious,  the  singularity  of  their 
situation,  induced  the  celebrated  SAUSSURE  to  ask,  if  calcareous 
earth,  in  any  circumstances,  can  be  transmuted  into  flint?  Cer- 
tainly not;  but  silex  in  solution  appears  to  displace  a  large*  por- 
tion of  that  earth,  and  to  combine  with  the  residue  so  silently  as 
even  in  many  cases  to  preserve  the  original  formf  of  the  stone. 
In  vegetable  petrifactions  this  earth  is  so  accurately  insinuated, 
that  the  sap  vessels  remain  visible;  and  even  the  colouring  matter 
of  the  wood  is  retained,  as  we  observe  in  the  Irish  hone. 

Notwithstanding  its  hardness,  much  of  this  earth  is  annually 
held  in  solution  to  supply  the  demands  of  vegetation ;{  and  Pro- 
fessor Davy  has  even  shewn  that  the  hollow  stalked  grasses  derive 
firmness  from  this  essential  ingredient. 

As  we  approached  the  banks  of  Indian  Kentucky,  hearing 
shrill  screams  over  our  heads,  we  looked  up,  and  first  saw  the 
parroquet.  These  birds,  which  are  about  the  size  of  wild  pigeons, 
are  sometimes  seen  on  the  Miami. § 

This  Creek  now  scarcely  flows,  though  it  has  a  channel  wide 
enough  for  a  heavy  mill  stream.  Indeed,  most  of  those  through 
this  country  are  very  shallow, — bottomed  on  horizontal  lime  rock; 
and  in  some  places,  this  stone  has  been  whirled  up  by  the  water 
into  heaps.  The  cavities  thus  formed  are  now  ponds.  It  is  remark- 
able that  where  horizontal  rocks  lie  near  the  surface,  the  streams 
diminish  greatly  in  drowths,  whether  these  strata  are  calcareous 
or  aluminous. 

The  north-west  side  of  the  Ohio  was  a  wilderness  after  the  adja- 
cent parts  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky  were  settled;  and  the  streams 
of  these  states  were  consequently  named  before  many  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river  were  known  to  the  white  people.  To 

*Wiegleb  found  gun-flint  80  per  cent  of  silica. 

tDe  Cazozy  and  Macquart  have  observed  the  transition  of  the  Gypsum  of  Cracovia 
to  the  state  of  calcedony. — Dorthes  has  proved  that  the  quartz  in  cockscombs  at  Passy 
owed  its  origin  [shape]  to  plaster.  CHAPTAL. 

}It  was  long  since  discovered  that  silica  (the  earth  of  flints)  was  contained  in 
vegetables:  but  it  was  commonly  considered  extraneous  or  accidental  until  professor 
Davy  showed  that  many  plants,  without  it,  could  not  "support  a  healthy  vegetation". 
From  parcels  of  the  following  kinds  of  Corn,  weighing  two  pounds  each,  SCHROEDER 
obtained  of  this  earth  the  annexed  number  of  grains  respectively: — Wheat,  13.2;  Rye, 
15.6;  Barley,  66.7;  Oats,  144.2;  and  from  the  same  quantity  of  rye-straw  152  grains. 

§  Drake  says  on  the  Sciota. 


46  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

such  creeks  with  the  word  Indian  prefixed,  the  appellation  of  the 
southern  branches  are  transferred;  and  thus  we  have  Indian 
Short  Creek,  Indian  Wheeling,  and  Indian  Kentucky,  which 
denote  that  Virginia  Short  Creek,  Virginia  Wheeling,  and  Ken- 
tucky River,  join  the  Ohio  in  those  respective  neighbourhoods. 

On  ascending  the  hill  from  this  creek,  we  travelled  several 
miles  on  a  winding  ridge,  in  many  places  only  about  the  width  of 
a  turnpike,  with  gulphs  on  each  side  awfully  profound.  I  estimate 
these  hills  at  500  or  600  feet  above  the  Ohio  River;  and  on  all 
parts  below  the  limestone  strata,  which  appears  on  their  sides,  the 
soil  is  extremely  fertile. 

This  country,  in  general,  is  wretchedly  cultivated;  very  little 
wheat  appears,  and  corn  constitutes  their  staff  of  life.  But  even 
this  is  greatly  neglected;  and  wherever  moderate  marks  of  industry 
were  observed,  we  felt  pleasure  from  the  novelty.  We  have 
never  before  seen  so  much  difference  in  the  growth  of  corn; 
some  being  scarcely  six  inches  high,  and  some  four  or  five  feet. 

On  the  hill  side  which  bounds  the  flats  on  the  Ohio  above 
Madison,  I  saw  for  the  first  time,  a  horse  stripping  bark.  I  had 
long  since  understood,  that  such  practices  prevailed  in  new  parts 
of  our  south-western  states,  where  these  animals  receive  no  food 
from  their  owners  in  winter;  but  we  think  it  remarkable  that  bark 
should  be  preferred  to  grass.  The  nettle  tree,  (Celtis  occidentalis) 
here  called  hack-berry,  which  grows  in  abundance  over  all  these 
hills,  is  the  favorite;  though  sugar-maple  and  some  others  do 
not  escape.  He  had  stripped  the  butt  to  the  height  of  three  feet. 

We  had  not  seen  the  Ohio  since  we  left  Rising  Sun,  until  we 
arrived  on  these  flats,  though  we  have  chiefly  kept  within  a  few 
miles.  Vevay,  noted  for  its  vineyards  and  Swiss  inhabitants,  is 
situate  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  but  our  road  led  to  the  right. 

This  morning  the  sun  shone  faintly  through  the  thickening 
veil  of  clouds,  and  soon  disappeared.  Moderate  rain  without  wind 
succeeded;  and  having  travelled  through  it  a  long  time,  just  before 
sunset,  as  the  sky  was  brightening  in  the  west,  we  arrived  at 
Madison,  wet  and  fatigued.  Here  we  met  the  members  of  the 
CONVENTION,  who  had  come  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  state, 
now  on  their  return  home.  Corydon,  the  seat  of  government,  is 
forty  miles  below  this  village,  which  place  they  left  this  morning. 

36  miles. 

7  mo.  1. — MADISON  is  the  seat  of  justice  for  Jefferson  county. 
It  is  situate  on  an  upper  flat  of  the  Ohio,  and  back,  a  few  hundred 
yards  from  the  river.  It  consists  of  sixty  or  seventy  houses,  the 


DAVID  THOMAS.  47 

V 

principal  number  of  which  appear  new.  Indeed  the  larger  part  of 
the  improvements  which  we  have  seen  in  this  territory  is  of  very 
recent  date.  Many  of  these  houses  are  small  and  of  hewn  logs. 

The  jail  is  about  twelve  feet  square,  of  the  same  materials; 
and,  in  aspect  as  well  as  in  strength,  forms  a  great  contrast  to 
those  gloomy  piles  which  older  communities  have  erected  in  their 
own  defence.  With  surprise  we  had  also  remarked  one  of  similar 
appearance  at  Boone  Court-house,  in  Kentucky;  and  though  these 
buildings  neither  shine  much  in  topographical  description,  nor  add 
to  the  'beauty  of  these  villages,  yet  posterity,  from  such  specimens 
will  learn  with  interest  the  simplicity  of  new  founded  empires; 
for  in  a  few  years  these  will  be  only  remembered. 

From  the  great  number  of  small  houses,  and  an  apparent  want 
of  regularity  in  the  streets,  the  aspect  of  this  village  is  not  impos- 
ing. With  these  impressions  my  companion  asked  one  of  the  con- 
vention how  long  this  little  town  had  been  laid  out?  Whether  the 
dignity  of  the  ex-member  was  offended  by  such  approach, — or 
whether  he  thought  his  country  undervalued, — I  leave  for  his 
biographers  to  determine;  but  assuming  all  the  majesty  of  repul- 
sive greatness,  he  exclaimed  "I  hope  you  don't  call  this  a  little 
town."  It  is  true  my  friend  had  seen  some  cities,  if  not  characters 
rather  greater,  but  we  think  this  a  thriving  place,  and  from  its 
situation  on  the  river,  will  rapidly  augment  in  wealth  and  popula- 
tion. 

We  were  pleased,  however,  with  the  affability  and  politeness 
of  some  of  the  gentlemen;  and  M.  from  Wayne  county,  informed  me 
that  a  cave,  near  Corydon,  contains  a  great  quantity  of  Glauber's 
salt,  amongst  which  nitre  is  intermixed.  It  is  in  high  repute  as  a 
cathartic  medicine.  The  quarter  section,  which  includes  the  cave, 
has  been  lately  secured  by  an  individual. 

It  has  long  since  been  ascertained  that  abundance  of  nitre 
is  found  in  the  limestone  caves  of  this  country,  but  it  appears  to 
be  mixed  in  unusual  portions,  not  only  with  this  sulphate  of  soda, 
but  also  with  the  common  salt.  Hams,  cured  with  that  from 
Kenhawa,  requires  no  particular  application  of  nitre;  and  in  red- 
ness and  in  flavor  resemble  those  in  New- York,  where  an  ounce  of 
this  mineral  is  appropriated  to  each. 

This  morning  I  noticed  on  a  hand  bill  "the  best  qualified  cut 
nails"  advertised.  This  expression  is  a  good  match  for  that  of  "a 
well  faculized  person,"  so  common  in  the  eastern  part  of  New- 
York  state.  No  doubt  both  phrases  are  very  convenient  to  those 
who  are  unused  to  better  language. 


48  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

The  peach  trees,  near  this  town  were  finely  loaded  with  fruit.. 
but  those  on  the  hills  have  been  more  injured  by  frost. 

The  laborious  operation  of  ascending  the  heights  from  the 
river,  we  performed,  four  miles  west  of  Madison,  but  we  believe 
the  hills  are  not  so  high  as  those  in  the  neighborhood  of  Pitts- 
burgh. However,  since  we  arrived  in  this  territory,  we  have  been 
compelled  to  trace  many  a  long  line,  greatly  diverging  from  the 
plane  of  the  horizon. 

On  reaching  the  summit,  we  travelled  one  or  more  miles  over 
wet  clayey  land,  similar  to  what  we  noticed  yesterday  on  the 
heights.  This  plain  gradually  slopes  at  last,  towards  the  Mutka- 
kituck  branch  of  the  White  River,  which  we  crossed  nine  miles  west 
of  Madison,  there  flowing  to  the  north-west.  It  is  a  common  mill 
stream  in  size,  bordered  by  handsome  flats,  and  apparently  comes 
from  the  Ohio,  which  is  only  four  miles  distant.  I  am  assured 
that  it  heads  within  two  or  three  miles  of  that  river;  and  probably 
some  of  its  branches  have  a  greater  proximity,  but  the  circuit 
cannot  be  less  than  three  hundred  miles  before  its  waters  effect  a 
junction. 

Oats  are  in  blossom,  but  wheat  and  rye  are  almost  fit  for  the 
sickle. 

The  sides  of  the  road  where  the  soil  is  calcareous,  are  nearly 
destitute  of  grass.  It  has  been  a  dry  season,  but  we  have  no  cause 
to  believe  that  these  vegetables  ever  obtained  possession.  We 
cannot  solely  refer  this  deficiency  to  climate,  though  its  appear- 
ance is  remarkable. 

Eleven  miles  west  of  Madison,  we  passed  through  a  land  of 
swales  or  drains,  in  the  bottom  of  which  limestone  lies  under  a 
shallow  coat  of  earth.  Beneath  this  rock  the  water  finds  a  sub- 
terranean passage.  In  some  places  the  arch  is  broken;  the  cavity 
of  the  rock  then  appears  four  or  five  feet  deep;  and  the  stream 
along  the  bottom,  alternately  brightens  into  day,  and  glides 
beneath  the  vault,  sheltered  from  the  vicissitudes  of  this  upper 
world.  In  some  of  these  sinks  or  broken  arches,  no  water  was 
visible. 

New  Lexington  is  seventeen  miles  west  of  Madison.  It  con- 
sists of  forty  houses,  a  few  of  which  are  handsome  brick  or  frame 
buildings;  but  a  great  proportion  are  scattered  back  from  the  road, 
formed  of  hewn  logs  with  a  cobbed  roof,  one  story  high  and  one 


DAVID  THOMAS.  49 

room  on  a  floor.  On  their  appearance  I  can  pass  no  encomiums, 
though  the  whole  has  very  recently  sprung  from  the  woods.* 

At  this  place  the  sign  of  the  Lexington  Bank  was  displayed  by 
nine  swindlers;  several  of  them  are  now  imprisoned. 

We  were  told  that  salt  was  manufactured  near  this  place  from 
water  completely  saturated  with  that  mineral,  but  which  is  very 
limited  in  quantity.  In  order  to  obtain  a  better  supply,  a  shaft 
was  sunk  about  one  hundred  feet.  At  this  depth  brine  appeared, 
similar  in  quality  to  what  was  procured  before,  and  some  of  it 
was  'driven  up  to  the  surface  by  a  wind  which  roared  through 
caverns  in  the  rocks.  However,  the  water  soon  subsided;  and 
though  the  proprietors  have  penetrated  to  the  depth  of  more  than 
seven  hundred  feet,  the  labour  has  not  been  crowned  with  suc- 
cess. The  last  two  hundred  feet  cost  $1,500.  The  boring  was 
performed  by  machinery  moved  by  a  horse.  The  salt  which  is 
made  here,  sells  for  two  dollars  a  bushel,  but  the  quantity  is  not 
equal  to  the  demand. 

Near  this  village  we  met  a  large  drove  of  cattle,  some  of  which 
we  were  told  came  from  the  Missouri.  The  great  population  and 
consequent  demand  for  beef  in  Baltimore  and  in  the  cities  to  the 
northeast,  not  only  attract  the  drovers  from  a  vast  distance,  which 
would  bring  them  on  this  line,  but  the  ruggedness  of  the  moun- 
tains in  Virginia  appears  to  turn  the  principal  current  of  travelling 
as  high  up  as  Brownsville  on  the  Monongahela. 

Another  branch  of  the  Muskakituck  flows  on  the  north  east 
side  of  this  village. 

At  the  Pigeon  Roost,  eight  miles  from  Lexington,  twenty- 
three  women  and  children  were  massacred  in  the  late  war.  It 
appears  that  the  settlement  was  composed  of  several  families  near 
akin,  who  resided  in  houses  contiguous  to  each  other.  The  men 
who  had  given  some  offence  to  the  Indians,  were  then  all  absent  in 
the  militia  near  Louisville,  except  one  old  man.  On  the  last  of  the 
week,  about  two  hours  before  sun  set,  while  the  women  were  iron- 
ing their  clothes  and  the  children  were  playing  round  the  doors, 
the  savages  rushed  to  the  attack.  In  this  awful  extremity,  the  old 
man  endeavoured  to  protect  them,  till  his  gun-lock  was  broken 
by  a  ball.  He  then  escaped,  but  the  rest  all  perished.  No  part 
of  this  frontier,  during  the  war  exhibited  such  a  scene  of  slaughter. 

Adjacent  to  New  Lexington  on  the  west,  we  saw  the  last  of  the 

*Predicting  from  past  movements,  in  a  few  years  these  villages  will  not  be  recog- 
nized from  my  descriptions;  and  these  sketches,  though  imperfect,  will  then  interest 
by  shewing  the  march  of  improvement. 

T — 1 


50  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

limestone;  and  five  miles  further  on  our  road,  clay  slate  is  uncov- 
ered by  a  brook  which  flows  to  the  northwest.  The  soil,  through  a 
space  of  twenty  miles  from  this  village  to  the  Knobs,  like  the  level 
country  over  which  we  have  passed,  is  a  loam  inclining  to  a  stiff 
clay,  and  moderately  fertile.  The  timber  is  large, — chiefly  beech 
intermixed  with  oak,  poplar,*  and  sweet  gum;f  but  to  us  the 
country  is  not  inviting.  There  is  scarcely  one  clearing  of  older 
date  than  last  season.  These  are  scattering,  and  in  places  we 
traversed  intervals  of  forest  five  miles  wide.  At  the  brook  that 
runs  northerly  at  the  foot  of  the  Knobs,  a  soft  clay  slate  appears 
in  the  bank,  and  no  stone  in  all  this  distance  was  observable  on  the 
soil. 

We  were  informed  at  New-Lexington,  that  we  should  find  no 
accommodations  for  our  horses  east  of  the  Knobs.  It  was  then 
past  twelve  o'clock,  and  we  departed  at  the  close  of  a  heavy  shower, 
on  a  brisker  gait  than  we  had  usually  travelled.  But  the  uncer- 
tainty of  lodgings,  distant  thunder  in  the  west,  dark  clouds  that 
concealed  the  sun,  and  the  thick  branches  of  a  tall  forest,  con- 
spired to  begloom  our  path. 

My  nerves  had  thrilled  at  the  name  of  the  Knobs;  for  these  are 
supposed  by  the  celebrated  VOLNEY  to  constitute  the  west  bank 
of  a  vast  lake,  which  once  covered  all  the  upper  country  of  the 
Ohio,  and  from  which  waters,  successively  were  deposited,  the 
sand,  the  shells,  and  the  vegetables  which  have  stratified  that 
region  with  sand  rocks,  lime-stone  and  coal.  We  were  therefore 
about  to  enter  a  scene  peculiarly  interesting.  But  these  heights 
would  interest  without  the  aid  of  philosophy.  As  we  approached 
the  summit,  the  prospect  assumed  the  features  of  sublimity. 
From  the  north,  northerly  round  to  the  southeast,  the  line  of  the 
horizon  was  as  smooth  as  if  ruled  by  a  pencil;  but  wild  mountain 
heads  projected  in  the  opposite  direction.  This  landscape  though 
obscured  by  the  rain,  was  rendered  more  awfully  grand  by  the 
thunder  and  lightning  which  now  flashed  and  rolled  over  us. 

These  heights  are  several  hundred  feet  above  the  country  to 
the  eastward.  Observing  some  rocks  not  far  below  the  summit,  I 
alighted  in  the  shower  to  examine  them.  I  was  induced  to  do  this 
because  their  formation  must  have  a  powerful  bearing  on  the 
theory  of  that  writer,  for  whose  talents  I  had  conceived  much 
respect,  and  who  has  been  styled  "a  genius  of  the  first  order  in 
physical  geography."  These  rocks  were  of  two  kinds,  calcareous 

*Tulip  poplar. 
fLiquidambar  styraciflua. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  51 

and  silicious;  and  as  both  are  of  the  secondary  class,  the  inference 
is  conclusively  hostile  to  his  hypothesis. 

The  sides  of  these  hills  are  deeply  gullied,  and  the  peninsulated 
points  appear  like  ribs  attached  to  the  vertebrae.  Some  stand 
separate,  or  detached  from  the  main  mass,  conically  shaped; 
and  high  up  the  sides  of  one,  a  horizontal  stratum  of  rock  pro- 
jects, which  has  the  appearance  of  limestone.  The  wearing  of 
water  on  these  piles  in  some  distant  age,  must  therefore  have  been 
very  extraordinary. 

Chestnut  grows  near  the  base,  and  chestnut-oak  on  the  peaks; 
but  as  we  leave  these,  and  advance  westward  where  the  soil  is 
less  exposed  to  the  wasting  action  of  winds  and  rains,  the  timber 
becomes  nearly  as  thrifty  as  on  the  plains  below;  and  papaw  and 
spice-wood,  as  usual,  constitute  the  principal  underbrush. 

In  the  channel  of  a  brook  which  flows  southerly  one  or  two  miles 
west  of  the  ascent,  we  saw  many  chrystallized  stones,  varying 
much  in  size  and  nearly  spherical  in  the  general  form,  though  the 
surface  is  protuberant  and  irregular.  These  are  usually  hollow,' 
break  easily,  and  small  chrystals  cover  the  internal  surface.  I 
arrange  them  with  the  most  recent  secondary  class  of  stones,  as  in 
one,  a  lump  of  limestone  composed  of  shells,  was  found  embedded. 

In  the  cabinet  of  specimens  in  mineralogy  at  Pittsburgh,  if 
my  recollection  is  distinct,  there  is  a  broken  shell  of  this  kind,  which 
had  been  a  prolate  spheroid,  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  long,  eight  or 
ten  inches  wide,  and  less  than  an  inch  in  thickness.  One  part  of 
the  cavity  is  apparently  coated  with  verdigrise.  I  have  seen 
none  here  equal  to  that  specimen  in  size. 

This  day  we  travelled  nearly  forty  miles,  and  about  dark 
arrived  at  our  lodgings,  excessively  fatigued.  This  was  occasioned 
by  our  hurrying  over  the  last  twenty-three  miles,  without  stopping 
to  procure  refreshment. 

On  asking  for  supper  we  were  told  that  the  water  in  the  well, 
on  account  of  the  rain  was  unfit  for  use.  As  we  did  .not  comprehend 
the  reason  why  a  moderate  shower  should  be  so  injurious,  I 
only  notice  the  fact  at  present,  and  add  that  butter-milk  ill  sup- 
plied the  place  of  more  stimulating  food  which  our  exhausted 
condition  required. 

7  mo.  2.- — THIS  house  was  fortified  during  the  war,  and  several 
familes  occupied  it  as  a  garrison.  Log  houses  like  this  are  readily 
converted  into  such  fortifications  by  taking  off  the  upper  part 
down  to  the  joists,  and  then  building  it  up  again  with  logs  two  or 
three  feet  longer.  Such  projections  on  every  side  are  intended  to 


52  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

give  the  besieged  an  opportunity  to  fire  down  on  the  enemy, 
if  he  should  attempt  to  force  the  door,  or  set  fire  to  the  building; 
but  we  are  told  that  no  instance  of  Indians  making  such  attack 
is  known.  We  had  observed  houses  of  this  description,  soon  after 
our  landing  in  the  state,  and  we  have  noticed  more  or  less  every  day 
since. 

This  fortress  had  an  appendage  (and  I  believe  it  is  generally 
so,  when  neighbours  unite  together)  consisting  of  a  picket  fence 
which  encloses  the  yard  and  extends  the  limits  of  safety.  The 
construction, is  as  follows; — Planks  three  or  four  inches  thick  and 
twelve  or  fifteen  feet  long  are  placed  edge  to  edge  in  a  trench  which 
has  been  previously  dug,  and  the  earth  then  rammed  closely 
round  them.  These  are  difficult  to  scale,  and  impenetrable  to 
small  arms. 

Cooped  up  in  such  lodgments,  our  frontier  citizens  have  gen- 
erally weathered  the  storm  of  war;  and  when  necessity  compelled 
them  to  venture  out,  the  men  have  gone  armed  in  a  body.  On  my 
remarking  how  unhappily  they  must  have  lived  in  such  times  of 
alarm,  our  host  replied,  "We  enjoyed  ourselves  much  better  than 
you  imagine,  perhaps  as  well  as  we  do  now, — we  were  so  kind  and 
friendly  to  one  another."  These  words  of  the  old  man  were  impres- 
sive; and  I  rode  on  reflecting,  from  how  much  real  pleasure  we  are 
debarred  by  the  jarring  interests  of  this  world. 

Our  progress  this  morning  was  unusually  slow,  in  consequence 
of  the  excess  of  yesterday;  and  our  horses  convinced  us  that  they 
were  suffering  from  sore  feet.  The  circumstance  in  itself  is  a 
trifle,  and  will  cease  to  interest  us  as  soon  as  they  recover;  but  the 
lesson  ought  not  to  be  forgotten.  At  Circleville,  we  saw  men  from 
Dutchess  county  (N.Y.)  who  had  been  under  the  necessity  of 
changing  horses,  once  or  twice,  on  the  road;  and  another  such  a 
day's  ride  would  compel  us  to  a  similar  measure.  He  who  wishes 
to  avoid  being  left  to  the  mercy  of  strangers  (if  mercy  there  be) 
should  preserve  an  easy  and  regular  gait  through  the  day;  and  at 
whatever  time  his  hackney  shews  unequivocal  symptoms  of 
fatigue,  stop.  In  this  exhausted  condition,  a  small  excess  is  hurt- 
ful, and  a  repitition  often  ruinous.  A  horse  of  common  con- 
stitution, accidents  excepted,  will  perform  the  circuit  of  the  United 
States,  if  well  fed  and  moderate!}-  used. 

Salem,  where  we  stopped  to  breakfast,  is  a  new  village  of  thirty 
or  forty  houses.  A  small  but  handsome  brick  court-house  for 
Washington  county,  built  on  arches,  is  one  of  the  principal  orna- 
ments of  the  place. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  53 

One  mile  and  a  half  north-easterly  from  this  village,  a  monthly 
meeting  is  held  by  a  number  of  Friends  who  are  settled  in  this 
vicinity. 

At  breakfast  I  was  exposed  to  the  infection  of  an  eruptive 
fever,  which,  however,  to  me  has  never  been  a  subject  of  much 
alarm;  but  my  friend  J.S.  shewed  such  anxiety  that  I  left  the 
house  with  half  a  meal.  To  have  a  disease  of  such  uncertain 
termination  in  a  strange  land,  is  not  desirable;  but  the  bearing  of 
one  event  on  another,  and  consequently,  what  will  finally  be  best, 
is  not  given  us  to  know. 

The  uncertain  tenure  of  our  lives,  at  all  times,  ought  also  to 
mitigate  our  apprehensions  of  apparent  danger.  We  walk  in  the 
midst  of  deaths;  and  with  the  dawn  of  each  day  the  possibility 
returns,  that  those  connexions  which  are  inexpressibly  dear  to 
us  will  be  dissolved  before  night. 

On  the  west  side  of  this  village,  Blue  River,  which  is  here  a 
small  mill-stream,  flows  in  a  southerly  direction.  The  banks  con- 
tain horizontal  strata  of  limestone,  which  is  literally  composed 
of  shells. 

The  country  westward  of  the  Knobs,  (or  rather  the  summit 
level)  though  not  hilly,  is  varied  in  surface;  and  has  a  looser  soil 
than  the  low  district  to  the  east.  Ferruginous  sandstone,  the 
stalagmites  before  noticed,  excellent  gun  flints,  and  abundance 
of  limestone  are  found.  The  two  first  kinds,  in  places,  consid- 
erably encumber  the  soil.  The  flint  varies  much  in  colour; 
lumps  three  or  four  inches  in  diameter  are  embedded  in  the  lime- 
rocks;  and  this  sort  in  texture  resembles  the  imported  flint. 

We  noticed  many  wells  which  were  dug,  in  the  bottom  of 
limestone  sinks;  and  generally  the  inhabitants  obtain  durable  water 
with  little  labour.  It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  this  elevated 
region  preserves  the  same  singular  feature  as  the  country  round 
New- Lexington,  which  is  several  hundred  feet  below  it;  for,  in 
no  other  district  that  I  have  seen  would  it  be  advisable  to  dig  for 
water  in  a  sink. 

Many  of  the  settlers  in  this  quarter  are  Carolinians;  and  some 
told  us  (probably  with  a  reference  to  their  native  land)  that  "this 
is  a  miserably  cold  country." 

Our  host,  where  we  fed  our  horses,  had  been  bitten  by  a  copper- 
head some  months  ago,  and  was  scarcely  recovered.  It  was 
said,  when  we  were  in  the  state  of  Ohio,  that  the  poison  of  this 
reptile,  lingers  a  long  time  in  the  system,  and  eventually  proves 
destructive  to  the  constitution.  The  evil  appears  magnified; 


54  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

but  the  opinion  is  common,  that  these  are  not  less  dangerous  than 
the  rattle  snake;  and  we  know  they  are  much  more  difficult  to 
exterminate.  The  dry  hills  of  the  Ohio  country  seem  to  be  their 
favorite  residence.  We  think  however,  that  snakes  are  less  num- 
erous, even  now,  than  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  mountains. 

About  5  o'clock  we  arrived  at  J.  LiNDLEY's1  for  whom  I  had 
an  introductory  letter.  His  kind  invitation  to  stay  with  him  a 
day,  we  willingly  accepted. 

This  distinguished  Friend  removed  from  North  Carolina  about 
five  years  ago;  and  with  a  few  others  fixed  his  abode  in  the  wilder- 
ness. During  the  late  war,  this  little  community  formed  the 
frontier;  but  its  members  appear  not  to  have  suffered  either  from 
fear  or  injury.  He  has  frequently  explored  the  lands  beyond  the 
borders  of  the  settlement  in  the  time  of  that  commotion,  and 
never  considered  either  himself  or  his  companions  in  danger. 
Indeed  there  was  small  cause.  No  instance  of  Indian  hostility 
towards  this  society  is  known;  so  firm  and  inviolate  has  been  the 
peace  which  the  ancestors  of  these  savages  established  with 
WILLIAM  PENN,  and  so  faithfully  is  the  memory  of  his  virtues 
transmitted  from  sire  to  son. 

The  wilderness,  however,  has  now  become  thickly  populated; 
and  a  monthly  meeting  is  held  a  half  a  mile  from  his  house;  but 
we  learn  that  no  other  meeting  of  Friends  is  established  further 
westward.  26  miles. 

7  mo.  3. — We  admired  the  refreshing  coolness  of  last  even- 
ing. We  are  assured  that  in  summer,  the  heat  of  the  day  like 
what  we  experience  is  rarely  oppressive;  and  seldom  protracted 
beyond  sunset.  On  the  eastern  side  of  the  mountains,  in  this 
latitude,  it  is  often  uncomfortable  till  midnight. 

In  our  country,  the  rainy  clouds  in  their  approach,  seldom  vary 
from  between  the  west  and  south-west  points;  but  the  lower  cur- 
rents of  the  atmosphere  frequently  carry  the  scud  in  every  direc- 
tion. Here  we  are  told  that  both  rain  and  snow  arrive  chiefly 
from  the  south-west;  and  that  winds  from  the  east  of  north  or 
south  are  seldom  known. 

This  statement  supports  the  opinion  that  we  have  passed 
beyond  the  influence  of  the  great  Lakes.  Winds  are  often  deflected 
for  [from]  their  original  courses  by  the  sinuosities  of  the  shore;  and 
from  this  cause  we  sometimes  find  them  -blow  in  opposite  direc- 
tions. 


1.   Near  the  present  site  of  Paoli. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  55 

The  surface  of  the  land  in  this  neighbourhood  is  uneven;  but 
the  elevations  scarcely  merit  the  name  of  hills;  and  much  of  it 
appears  to  be  cellared.  This  feature  is  strong  and  perhaps  peculiar 
to  the  western  country.  Nearly  all  the  brooks  are  more  or  less 
subterranean.  In  places,  the  arch  is  broken  for  small  distances, 
and  the  stream  visible;  but  Lost  River,  to  the  north  of  this  place, 
wholly  disappears  for  seven  miles;  and  though  this  NATURAL 
BRIDGE  is  destitute  of  the  sublime  scenery  of  Cedar  Creek  it 
stands  unrivalled  in  width. 

Many  of  the  brooks  may  be  traced  by  a  line  of  sinks.  These 
in  heavy  rains  become  ponds,  in  consequence  v  of  the  narrowness 
of  the  channel*  through  the  rocks — into  some  of  which  the  cur- 
rent boils  from  below,  while  others  receive  the  torrents  that  col- 
lect on  the  land;  and  in  all,  the  water  not  undergoing  the  process 
of  filtration, — partakes  of  all  the  impurities  of  the  surface.  To 
this  cause  I  ascribe  the  state  of  the  well  which  we  noticed  in  the 
evening  after  we  ascended  the  Knobs. 

But  we  have  reason  to  suspect  that  this  water,  even  when 
limpid  is  prejudicial  to  the  health  of  strangers.  In  us,  it  uni- 
formly induced  a  sense  of  weight  in  the  stomach,  and  others  have 
made  similar  complaints.  We  discontinued  its  use. 

It  is  probable  that  the  Salt  Petre  caves^f  in  Kentucky  are  on  the 
same  level  with  those  near  New- Lexington ;  but  these  around 
us,  as  I  have  remarked,  are  in  a  different  stratum,  notwithstand- 
ing the  sameness  of  appearance.  We  are  informed  that  one  cavern 
in  that  state  has  been  explored  for  ten  miles;  and  without  dis- 
missing all  doubts  of  this  statement,  we  may  be  allowed  to  remark 
that  Lost  River  proves  that  some  in  this  vicinity  are  surprisingly 
extensive.  I  observed  a  sink  of  one  or  two  acres  which  was  only 
a  few  feet  in  depth,  and  evidently  occasioned  by  the  falling  of  the 
cavern  roof. 

We  rarely  observe  any  natural  cavity  in  the  land  which  would 
hold  water  except  in  two  cases.  The  first  consists  of  the  basins 
of  lakes,  which  are  generally  on  a  large  scale,  and  formed  either 
by  the  irregular  projection  of  primitive  rocks,  or  by  the  unequal 
deposition  of  alluvial  matter.  The  second  case  comprises  those 
cavities  of  small  extent  which  were  produced  by  a  depression  of 

*Our  friend,  who  has  a  mill  on  a  large  spring,  finds  great  difficulty  in  forming  a 
pond,  on  account  of  fissures  in  the  limestone  that  surrounds  it. 

tCramer  in  noticing  Harden's  Creek  in  that  state,  112  miles  by  water  below  Louis- 
ville, and  southeasterly  from  this  place,  remarks  that  "Sinking  Creek,  a  branch  of  that 
stream,  after  heading  in  three  springs  and  running  several  miles,  sinks,  and  runs  about 
four  or  five  miles  under  ground  before  it  appears  again." 


56  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  friable  earth.  Of  these  we  observe  that  their  formation  belongs 
to  a  period  since  "the  dry  land  appeared;"  and  such  are  chiefly 
confined  to  districts  that  embosom  limestone.  Perhaps  the  only 
exception  to  making  this  remark  general,  will  be  found,  where 
primitive  rocks  loosened  by  some  convulsion  of  nature,  have  pro- 
miscuously fallen  together  and  then  been  covered  by  earth. 

The  cavities  of  calcareous  regions  belong  to  two  classes.  The 
first  will  embrace  depressions  of  the  surface  where  the  earth  has 
sunk  into  caverns,  through  small  apertures  in  the  roof,  and  hence 
assuming  the  shape  of  a  funnel.  These  appear  wherever  lime- 
stone in  great  quantities  is  present,  without  any  regard  to  the 
primitive  or  secondary  formation.  The  second  class  obtains  where 
the  earth  over  beds  of  gypsum  has  gradually  settled.  The 
solution  of  that  salt  in  five  hundred  times  its  weight  of  cold 
water,  removes  all  obscurity  from  this  point;  but  the  cause  of 
caverns  in  common  limestone  is  more  difficult  to  elucidate. 

It  is  not  probable  that  this  earth  remained  in  its  pulverulent 
form  while  the  masses  around  it  hardened  into  rock;  and  that  after- 
wards it  was  removed  by  water.  United  with  different  acids, 
however,  it  varies  exceedingly  in  its  degrees  of  solubility.  Though 
carbonic  acid  renders  it  an  insoluble  precipitate  in  water,  yet  the 
same  agent  in  excess  completes  its  solution;  and  vegetable  matter 
fermenting  in  confined  situations  might  furnish  the  supply. 

The  nitric  and  muriatic  acids  combining  with  lime  also  pre- 
serve it  in  solution;  and  by  displacing  the  carbonic  acid  may  have 
taken  possession  in  latter  periods.  Neither  should  the  combina- 
tion of  sulphuric  acid  be  overlooked.  Perhaps  all  these  agents,  in 
different  places,  have  assisted  in  forming  the  caverns  which  abound 
in  this  rock;  and  some  circumstances  render  it  probable  that  the 
process  of  excavation  is  continued. 

The  hard  water,  so  common  in  limestone  districts,  proves  that 
the  rocks  through  which  these  currents  flow  are  wasting  by  solu- 
tion. The  impregnating  material  is  chiefly  plaster;  but  nitrates 
and  muriates  of  lime,  which  only  exist  in  a  liquid  state,  are  some- 
times discovered:  and  perhaps  have  been  recently  formed.  The 
carbonic  acid  which  is  found  disengaged  in  the  earth  under  the 
name  of  damp,  and  which  is  also  emitted  by  some  fountains,  sup- 
ports this  idea;  but  without  such  decomposition,  clearly  shows 
that  water  with  this  addition  may  become  a  solvent  of  limestone. 

This  view  will  be  less  imperfect,  when  we  consider  that  new 
sinks  frequently  appear  in  such  regions.  The  earth  on  those 


DAVID  THOMAS.  57 

spots  had  been  settled  and  compact  for  thousands  of  years;  and 
its  sudden  depression  evinces  a  recent  breach  in  the  cavern  roof. 

It  will  be  obvious  that  the  depth  of  the  cavern  will  greatly 
assist  in  determining  the  figure  of  the  sink.  In  the  lower  parts  of 
Pennsylvania,  where  the  quantity  of  earth  over  the  aperture  is 
very  considerable,  it  generally  assumes  the  form  of  an  inverted 
cone.  Here  where  the  cavern  is  near  the  surface,  the  longitudinal 
breaches  in  the  roof  are  more  apparent,  and  that  figure  is  rarely 
observed. 

The  limestone  in  this  neighbourhood  is  composed  of  small 
shells  which  differ  from  all  that  I  have  noticed  to  the  eastward. 
One  stone,  from  the  minuteness  of  these  remains,  resembled  a 
mass  of  mustard  seed. — The  cement  was  ochre. 

Half-Moon  Spring,*  which  we  visited  this  morning,  is  a  curi- 
osity. The  aperture  of  the  fountain  is  thirty  feet  deep,  and  three 
rods  in  diameter;  but  the  basin  is  more  extensive.  The  name  is 
derived  from  its  semi-circular  figure.  Uniting  with  the  current 
of  J.  Lindley's  mill  spring,  half  a  mile  to  the  northward,  it  forms 
Lick  Creek,  a  beautiful  stream. 

The  Section  [or  square  mile]  that  includes  this  fountain  is 
public  property;  being  Lot  No.  16,  which  in  each  township  through- 
out the  territory,  is  appropriated  for  the  use  of  schools.  Leases  of 
such  lands  have  been  granted  only  for  short  periods;  and  in  con- 
sequence its  value  for  water  works,  probably  will  long  remain 
unrealized.  Though  the  fall  of  its  current  is  small,  yet  by  raising 
a  curb,  it  might  doubtless  be  converted  into  a  valuable  mill  seat; 
and  the  firm  and  level  surface  round  it  would  favor  such  an  under- 
taking. 

East  of  New-Lexington  we  had  found  limestone  in  the  bottom 
of  swales,  which  formed  an  arch  for  subterranean  brooks.  The 
late  heavy  rain  has  unfolded  the  cause  of  this  singular  appear- 
ance. As  soon  as  the  cavity  is  filled,  the  surplus  water  bursts 
from  the  sink-holes,  forming  ponds  where  the  sink  is  deep,  but 
flowing  over  where  the  sides  are  low.  Thus  we  have  a  double 
brook;  and  the  upper  current,  sweeping  away  the  leaves  has  also 
channelled  out  the  land. 

Coal  is  found  two  miles  from  J.  Lindley's,  but  of  its  quantity 
and  quality  but  little  can  be  said  at  present.  Salt  springsf  of 

*This  spring  is  forty  miles  west  of  Louisville. 

fOn  the  map  in  range  1  west,  Township  6  north,  the  reader  may  find  marked  a 
Salt  Lick.  J.  Lindle>v  to  whose  kindness  I  am  indebted  for  much  valuable  informa- 
tion, says  in  his  letter  of  2  mo.  2,  1818,  that  they  are  at  work  at  this  lick;  and  that  the 
prospect  is  encouraging. 


58  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

value,  on  the  New  Purchase,  north  of  this  place,  have  been  par- 
tially examined;  but  as  the  Government  of  the  United  States  reserve 
the  lands  which  include  such,  if  known  before  the  sale,  individuals 
who  explore,  deem  it  prudent  to  be  silent  on  these  subjects.  After 
the  sales  much  more  may  be  learned  of  the  fossil  treasures  of  this 
country. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  neighbourhood  preserve  much  sim- 
plicity of  dress,  and  like  members  of  the  same  family,  feel  an  interest 
in  each  others  welfare,  in  the  inverse  ratio  of  the  parade  exhib- 
ited. Such  manners  are  characteristic  of  new  settlements;  and 
notwithstanding  the  privations  to  which  this  period  is  subject, 
those  who  have  risen  to  independence  not  unfrequently  recall  in 
memory  these  days  as  the  happiest  in  life. 

Apparel,  however,  should  vary  with  the  state  of  society.  To 
wear  that  of  which  we  are  neither  proud  nor  ashamed  is  the  best 
rule  that  can  be  given;  and  who  departs  from  this  maxim  has  a 
mind  directed  to  improper  objects. 

Our  horses  had  been  put  to  pasture  where  the  grass  was  chiefly 
timothy,  yet  salivation  was  induced.  The  cause  of  this  disease  has 
been  hitherto  unexplained,  though  it  would  be  difficult  to  enum- 
erate all  the  opinions  on  this  subject.  Several  of  these,  however, 
are  absolute  crudities;  and  much  objection  will  attend  the  best 
that  have  been  assigned. 

It  appears  that  thirty  years  ago,  this  malady  was  unknown  in 
the  United  States.  Near  Philadelphia,  it  was  first  observed  about 
the  time  that  clover  and  plaster  were  generally  introduced;  and 
to  these  it  was  naturally  ascribed.  To  this  theory  the  present 
case  will  completely  fix  a  negative;  and  in  our  county  where 
horses  suffer  much  from  this  disease,  plastered  clover,  in  fields 
recently  laid  down,  does  not  induce  it.  On  the  reverse,  in  white 
clover  pastures,  which  have  never  received  a  sprinkle  of  that 
manure,  the  salivation  has  been  distressing. 

By  some,  the  Lobelia  inflata  or  wild  tobacco,  has  been  charged 
as  the  cause;  by  others,  the  Euphorbia  maculata,  or  spotted 
spurge;  but  both  plants  are  indigenous,  and  must  have  occupied 
the  old  fields  near  the  sea  coast  almost  a  century  before  this 
disease  was  known.  Others  have  spoken  of  the  venom  of  spiders. 
The  question,  where  were  they  forty  years  ago?  will  instantly 
occur;  neither  would  this  hypothesis  explain  why  the  grass  of  one 
field  will  salivate  profusely,  while  that  in  another  field  not  two 
yards  distant,  may  be  eaten  with  impunity.  Nor  can  we  learn 
why  these  plants  or  animals  should  be  more  venomous  after  a 


DAVID  THOMAS.  59 

shower;  yet  this  phenomenon  is  very  observable.  If  it  be  said  that 
the  insects  have  sheltered  in  the  grass,  we  should  reflect  that  a 
better  shelter  might  often  be  found  across  the  fence,  and  that  the 
insects  would  venture  forth  on  the  return  of  fair  weather;  but  for 
several  days  much  acrimony  is  apparent. 

The  same  objection  will  arise  against  ascribing  it  to  dews. 
We  have  not  been  able  to  discover  why  these  should  not  descend 
alike  on  the  adjoining  fields  where  a  single  fence  constitutes  all 
the  partition;  yet  I  have  noticed  at  Cayuga,  that  horses  in  new 
fields  are  generally  exempt;  and  the  same  remark  applies  to 
meadows  annually  mowed. 

In  the  afternoon  we  visited  T.  Lindley,  whose  interesting 
family  we  shall  remember.  It  is  now  the  middle  of  wheat  harvest, 
and  only  this  concern  deprives  us  of  his  company  to  the  Wabash. 
He  has  appropriated  a  field  of  several  acres  to  the  culture  of 
tobacco,  and  the  prospect  is  encouraging. 

Lands  partially  improved  rate  at  twelve  dollars  an  acre. 

Sugar  maple  is  found  throughout  all  the  Ohio  country;  and 
from  it  sugar  is  generally  made  in  quantities  sufficient  for  home 
consumption.  We  have  seen  little  of  this  article  from  New- 
Orleans  since  we  left  Pittsburgh.  There  the  retail  price  is  from 
twenty-three  to  twenty-five  cents  a  pound. 

It  appears  that  Kanhawa  Salt,  with  few  exceptions,  supplies 
at  least  all  the  country  above  the  falls  of  Ohio.  Near  the  river  the 
current  price  has  been  six  dollars  a  barrel.  In  the  manufacture 
much  slovenliness  is  evident,  and  we  presume  that  no  pains  are 
taken  to  separate  the  ochreous  matter  which  floats  in  the  water, 
for  the  whole  mass  is  tinged  of  a  dirty  red.  The  snow-white 
salt  of  Montezuma  is  obtained  from  water  equally  impure. 

The  parroquet  commits  depredations  on  the  wheat  in  harvest, 
but  it  is  a  bird  of  uncommon  beauty.  The  head  is  red,  the  neck 
yellow,  and  the  body  a  light  green. 

In  the  evening  we  returned  with  J.  L.  to  our  former  lodgings. 

In  this  neighbourhood  an  earth  resembling  bole  is  employed 
as  a  red  dye  for  cotton.  It  is  squeezed  through  a  linen  bag  into 
an  alkaline  solution;  and  requires  the  same  time  as  indigo  to  per- 
fect the  colour. 

The  trees,  in  this  neighbourhood,  are  chiefly  beech  and  sugar- 
maple;  but  the  quantity  of  timber  to  the  acre,  varies  considerably 
in  different  places.  The  papaw  forms  the  underbrush,  and  by 
closely  shading  the  ground  with  its  broad  leaves,  nearly  excludes 
the  herbage. 


60  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Iron  ore  is  found  in  many  parts  of  this  country.  It  is  mentioned 
that  two  furnaces*  will  soon  be  erected,  at  the  respective  distances 
of  eight  and  sixteen  miles  west  of  this  place. 

7  mo.  4. — ABOUT  nine  o'clock  this  morning,  we  took  leave  of 
our  kind  friends,  and  proceeded  on  our  journey.  Three  or  four 
miles  west  of  J.  Lindley's,  the  land  is  hilly;  and  near  the  summit, 
a  reddish  sand  rock  overlays  the  limestone.  It  may  be  noticed, 
though  such  appearances  are  not  uncommon,  that  on  the  hills 
above  the  limestone  level,  there  are  no  sinks;  but  on  descending 
the  western  side  to  that  level,  these  depressions  are  visible.  Strata, 
however,  are  not  so  regular  in  this  district  as  towards  Pittsburgh. 

After  a  ride  of  ten  miles,  we  arrived  at  the  French  Licks. 
This  place  is  a  reservation,  lately  owned  by  the  United  States, 
but  now  transferred  to  Indiana.  I  oberved  three  sulphur  springs,^ 
one  of  which  was  more  strongly  impregnated  than  any  that  I 
have  seen.  We  thought  these  waters  were  slightly  tinctured  with 
salt  and  iron. 

From  the  base  of  a  high  bank  of  limestone  that  bounds  this 
vale  on  the  west,  a  large  spring  of  fresh  water  breaks  forth,  and 
flows  eastward  between  the  other  fountains.  As  we  paused  on  the 
north  bank  of  this  stream,  our  bourses  immediately  strained  down 
their  heads,  and  began  to  lick  the  ground.  We  now  perceived  that 
the  stones  had  a  whitish  coat,  like  frost;  and  which,  on  tasting,  we 
discovered  to  be  common  salt,  apparently  free  from  impurities. 
This  recalled  the  remark  of  H.  DAVY,  that  "rock  salt  almost  always 
occurs  with  red  sandstone  and  gypsum."  The  sandstone,  in  its 
proper  colour,  is  found  on  the  spot;  and  though  we  have  no  proof 
of  the  presence  of  gypsum,  sulphur  springsj  in  New- York  are  one 
of  its  indications. 

The  celebrated  SAUSSURE  had  previously  enquired,  why  salt 
mines§  are  found  near  mountains  of  gypsum?  Perhaps  the  answer 
to  be  given,  will  be,  that  both  are  confined  to  regions  of  secondary 
formation.  No  strata  of  gypsum  are  known  of  an  older  date  than 

*J.  Lindley,  in  a  letter  of  2  mo.  2,  1818,  says,  "The  furnaces  talked  of  when  thou 
wast  here,  have  not  been  built." 

tSeveral  others  are  found  in  the  adjoining  woods.  On  our  return  I  filled  a  bottle 
with  this  water,  which  at  that  time  was  limpid;  but  in  a  few  hours  it  became  milky 
and  the  fetid  smell  was  lost.  It  is  well  known  to  the  chemists  that  hydrogen  is  a 
solvent  of  sulphur,  and  that  the  appearance  here  noticed,  results  from  the  escape  of 
that  gas.  The  mineral  no  longer  soluble,  floats  in  the  water. 

{Though  sulphurated  hydrogen  is  not  a  constituent  of  gypsum,  it  abounds  in  all 
the  best  plaster  stone  of  Cayuga.  Water,  in  which  this  mineral  is  diffused,  soon  be- 
comes sulphurous. 

§"To  examine  the  reason  of  the  singular  connexion  observed  between  mines  of 
salt,  or  salt  springs,  and  mountains  of  gypsum."  See  his  AGENDA. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  61 

limestone  which  contains  shells;  and  in  this  remark  salt  may  be 
included. 

The  coincidence,  however,  is  curious;  and  prevails  in  our  coun- 
try as  well  as  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Atlantic.  Saussure  could 
not  have  been  acquainted  with  this  fact  when  he  wrote;  but  the 
western  district  of  New-York  is  now  equally  famous  for  its  salt 
springs  and  its  quarries  of  plaster. 

Such  springs  are  properly  ascribed  to  water  which  has  fallen 
in  rain,  and  which  by  soaking  through  saline  earth,  or  by  flowing 
over  salt  rocks,  is  gradually  wasting  the  mine.  Indeed,  it  is  prob- 
able that  in  regions  of  secondary  formation,  many  fountains,  now 
perfectly  sweet,  were  originally  brackish.  This  opinion  is  strongly 
supported  by  the  fact,  that  the  salt  springs  of  the  present  day, 
have  been  commonly  found  to  ooze  through  coverings  of  mud,  in 
low,  marshy  situations  without  any  visible  outlet;  and  though 
Onondaga  may  furnish  an  exception,  yet  it  is  well  known  that 
subterranean  waters,  sometimes  acquire  new  outlets  by  earth- 
quakes. 

This  place  is  the  favorite  residence  of  the  parroquet,  flocks  of 
which  were  continually  flying  round.  These  birds  seem  to  delight 
in  screaming. 

We  observed  that  the  stream  from  these  Licks  soon  becomes  of 
a  pale  whitish  blue,  like  a  mixture  of  milk  and  water;  and  we  had 
previously  noticed,  that  Lick  creek,  and  its  other  branches  had 
acquired  the  same  colour.  To  these  appearances,  probably,  we 
owe  the  names  of  White  water,  White  river,  Blue  river,  &c. 

Westward,  the  country  is  still  more  rough  and  hilly,  and  much 
of  the  soil  is  encumbered  by  sand  rocks.  This  district  resembles 
the  roughest  of  the  sandstone  region  north  of  Pittsburgh.  Fine 
springs  issue  from  the  hills;  and  once  more  we  enjoyed  the  luxury 
of  pure  cold  water. 

Near  the  top  of  a  hill  two  miles  westward,  over  \vhich  our  road 
led,  the  inhabitants  procure  whetstones,  which,  it  is  said,  are  equal 
in  quality  to  the  Turkey  oil-stone.  The  grit  is  extremely  fine  and 
sharp. 

From  the  position  of  this  quarry,  on  the  top  of  a  high  ridge, 
I  conjectured  that  the  sand  had  not  been  deposited  by  water,  but 
collected  by  the  wind,  previous  to  its  petrification;  but  whether 
the  horizontal  arrangement  will  form  a  sufficient  objection  to 
this  view,  must  be  left  undetermined. 

Six  miles  west  of  the  Lick,  the  land  is  less  rugged,  and  some 
tracts  are  handsome. 


62  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

We  came  to  Lick  creek,  ten  miles  west  of  these  Licks.  Swelled 
by  the  late  rains,  it  was  too  deep  to  ford,  though  only  three  or 
four  rods  wide,  and  we  passed  it  in  a  ferry  boat.  At  this  place  it 
flows  to  the  north-west. 

As  the  last  gleamings  of  day  were  departing,  we  arrived  at 
Schultz's  near  the  Driftwood  Branch  of  White  River. 

Though  we  have  been  several  days  on  the  frontiers,  we  find 
some  change  of  manners  at  every  remove.  Tonight  our  horses, 
with  many  others,  were  turned  loose,  in  a  yard,  to  a  great  trough, 
bountifully  replenished  with  Indian  corn;  and  though  oats  is  far 
better  adapted  to  their  habits,  and  though  their  treatment  has 
always  been  a  subject  of  solicitude,  wTe  felt  much  satisfaction  in 
effecting  our  escape  from  the  dark  shades  of  a  thick  forest. 

26  miles. 

7  mo.  5. — THIS  tavern  is  a  recent  establishment.  The  pro- 
prietor formerly  from  Pennsylvania,  but  latterly  from  Seneca 
County  in  New- York,  has  adopted  the  eastern  mode  of  clearing 
land,  and  at  once  lays  it  open  to  the  day.  The  pleasantness  of  the 
prospect,  the  safety  of  the  cattle  and  the  excellence  of  the  crop,— 
which  now  promises  to  exceed  by  one  half  every  other  that  we 
have  seen  in  the  country, — will  strongly  recommend  this  method 
to  his  neighbours;  but  we  fear  there  will  be  more  admirers  than 
imitators. 

At  this  place,  we  saw  the  under  jaw  of  a  Mammoth,  in  which  the 
teeth  remain.  Though  large,  it  is  not  one  of  the  largest.  It  was 
found  in  the  channel  of  the  river  nearly  opposite  to  the  house. 

Since  the  discovery  of  the  Mammoth,  on  the  coast  of  Siberia, 
in  the  year  1808,  conjecture  respecting  its  figure  is  confined  within 
narrow  limits;  while  the  place  of  its  abode  is  involved  in  much 
obscurity.  The  situation  in  which  it  had  lain,  cased  in  ice,  for 
thousands  of  years,  shews  that  it  floated  thither.  This  inference  is 
clear  and  regular;  and  perhaps  the  best  evidence,  that  these 
quadrupeds  belonged  to  our  continent,  is  not  furnished  by  the 
circumstance  that  their  remains  have  been  discovered  at  the  Big 
bone  Lick,  but  that  there  were  strong  inducements  for  them  to 
frequent  it. 

Currents  of  water  have  swept  over  this  country  in  a  period 
comparatively  recent;  and  the  establishment  of  this  fact  has  a 
tendency  to  weaken  our  faith  in  the  opinion  that  New- York  was 
once  the  residence  of  this  creature.  The  bones  discovered  near 
Springfield,  N.  J.,  by  my  ingenious  friend  C.  KINSEY,  under  a 
covering  of  six  feet  of  solid  earth,  shew  at  least  that  great  changes 


DAVID  THOMAS.  63 

have  taken  place  in  the  surface,  since  the  deposition  of  these 
remains;  and  perhaps  it  will  be  difficult  to  account  for  this  inhuma- 
tion* in  any  way  so  plausibly  as  by  a  reference  to  that  deluge, 
which  has  left  its  traces  throughout  our  land  long  since  the  exis- 
tence of  air-breathing  animals. 

Corn,  on  the  west  branch  of  White  River,  now  sells  at  twenty- 
five  cents  a  bushel. 

About  sunrise  we  resumed  our  journey.  Weakened  by  dis- 
ease, I  was  indulged  with  a  walk  to  the  river,  while  my  companions 
were  preparing  the  horses,  whither  they  were  soon  to  follow. 

Last  evening  we  had  heard  the  noise  of  falls  at  the  distance  of  a 
mile  or  two  over  the  hills;  and  on  approaching,  I  found  the  water 
to  pitch  down  about  four  feet  over  a  level  sand  rock,  extending 
straight  across  the  river.  The  thick  woods  on  the  opposite  shore, 
the  clear  sky,  the  smooth  expanse  of  water,  the  foam  of  the  cas- 
cade, and  the  unbroken  quiet,  formed  one  of  the  sweetest  scenes 
of  solitude. 

Avoiding  the  force  of  the  stream,  small  fish  in  great  numbers 
had  come  in  close  with  the  shore;  and  eager  to  ascend  the  little 
currents  from  ledge  to  ledge,  were  so  crowded  together  that  I 
could  take  them  up  by  hand-fulls. 

On  these  banks  I  first  saw  the  red  trumpet  flowerf  growing 
indigenously. 

Yesterday  we  were  joined  by  a  genteel  Kentuckian,  who  was 
also  proceeding  to  Vincennes.  He  was  from  Shelby ville;  and  had 
attempted  to  travel  the  upper  road,  which  leads  more  directly 
west  from  Cincinnati.  That  route,  however,  he  found  to  be 
impassable  from  the  quantities  of  fallen  timber  and  under-brush; 
and  after  advancing  nearly  forty  miles  was  compelled  to  retrace 
his  steps. 

Our  company  arriving,  we  forded  the  river  a  few  rods  above 
the,  falls.  The  level  sand  rock  is  uncovered  two  thirds  of  the 
distance  over,  except  by  water;  and  the  remaining  third  seems 

*Large  bones  (probably  of  this  creature)  have  been  found  near  the  great  western 
canal  in  the  town  of  Manlius.  One  of  the  contractors  in  a  letter  to  me  of  5  mo.  15, 
1818,  says,  "For  the  embankment  across  a  swamp,  I  have  taken  earth  from  a  small 
hill.  At  a  depth  varying  from  eight  to  twelve  feet,  we  found  muscle  shells  in  abundance, 
with  bones  of  some  large  animal.  One  half  of  a  tooth  weighed  2  Ibs.  6  oz." 

Dr.  Drake  remarks,  that  "on  the  upper  table  on  which  Cincinnati  is  built,  a  joint 
of  the  back  bone  of  one  of  these  species  was  found  at  the  depth  of  twelve  feet  from  the 
surface. ' ' 

We  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  these  remains,  in  either  case,  would  be  buried  at 
such  depths  in  the  common  order  of  nature. 

fBignonia  radicans.  On  our  return  I  found  this  plant  in  Madison  County,  (Ohio) 
but  .the  size  was  diminutive. 


64  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

paved  with  muscle  shells  of  a  large  size.  The  breadth  of  this  beau- 
tiful stream  we  estimated  at  150  yards.  The  upland  adjoining 
it  is  good,  and  the  hills  retiring,  admit  flats  of  moderate  extent, 
which  are  thickly  timbered. 

After  ascending  the  hill,  which  may  be  100  feet  high,  we  passed 
through  open  oak  woods  into  an  extensive  plain  or  prairie.  Here 
such  are  called  barrens,  but  improperly,  for  the  soil  is  very  fertile. 

These  openings  present  a  striking  contrast  to  the  eastern  parts 
of  the  continent,  which  were  shaded  by  forests;  and  the  cause  has 
become  a  subject  of  general  speculation.  The  thrifty  growth 
of  timber,  which  is  found  through  this  country  in  many  places, 
proves,  that  though  the  woodlands  decrease  as  we  advance  west- 
ward, the  cause  ought  not  to  be  attributed  to  climate.  Indeed  we 
have  never  seen,  to  the  eastward,  more  timber  on  the  same  extent 
of  ground  than  many  tracts  in  this  vicinity  exhibit,  if  we  except 
groves  of  white  pine.  Our  search  must  therefore  be  confined  to 
the  soil,  and  to  circumstances  entirely  incidental. 

To  me  it  is  evident  that  the  immediate  causes  of  these  wastes 
are  fire  and  inundation;  but  the  predisponent  cause  (if  physicians 
will  allow  the  expression)  is  either  an  impenetrable  hard-pan,  or 
a  level  rock.  At  page  98  I  have  noticed  the  wet  prairies.  The 
same  rock,  extending  under  the  drier  parts,  confines  the  roots, 
-and  intercepts  the  supply  of  moisture  that  sub-soils  generally 
contribute.  The  trees,  thus  stunted  admit  amongst  them  a 
luxuriant  herbage;  in  autumn  it  is  speedily  dried  by  the  sun 
and  wind,  and  the  underbrush  perishes  in  the  annual  conflagra- 
tion. Near  the  borders  sufficient  evidence  of  this  was  often  before 
us  in  the  stools  of  oak,  with  shoots  from  one  to  six  feet  in  height, 
which  were  blasted  by  recent  fires. 

These  tracts  are  generally  situate  near  the  height  of  land.  On 
the  bordering  ridges,  the  timber  attains  a  moderate  size,  and  the 
adjoining  declivities  also  produces  it  of  the  usual  height;  but 
trees,  encircled  by  these  wastes,  are  uniformly  stunted. 

In  all  the  wells  which  we  saw  in  these  plains,  a  hard  slate  rock 
was  found  at  the  depth  of  a  few  feet. 

The  soil  is  various.  Clay  is  not  uncommon;  in  some  places 
sand  predominates;  but  a  fertile  loam  will  give  the  general  char- 
acter. 

These  lands  may  be  subdued  at  a  small  expence.  Near  all 
that  we  have  seen,  materials  for  fencing,  at  present  may  easily  be 
procured,  and  a  strong  team,  with  a  good  plough,  would  readily 


DAVID  THOMAS.  65 

overturn  the  tea  plant  and  the  hazle.  I  saw  not  one  stone  on  the 
surface. 

Water  may  be  procured  in  wells  of  a  moderate  depth;  but  in 
some,  the  quality  is  injured  by  foreign  matters.  In  one,  copperas 
is  so  abundant  as  greatly  to  discolour  clothes  in  washing;  and  the 
proprietor  assured  me  it  would  make  a  good  dye. 

Several  habitations  have  been  lately  erected;  but  we  saw  no 
improvement  which  induced  us  to  believe  that  the  occupants  had 
much  capital. 

Over  these  plains  I  saw  the  dodder  (Cuscutd)  for  many  yards 
round,  entangling  the  herbage.  This  singular  vegetable  germin- 
ates in  the  soil,  and  ascending  a  few  inches,  takes  hold  of  the  first 
plant  it  can  reach.  The  root  then  perishes,  and  it  becomes 
parasitic.  On  breaking  the  stem,  I  have  observed  the  pith  to 
contract,  which  brought  the  epidermis  together  and  closed  the 
wound.  What  I  broke  to-day,  however,  was  rigid;  and  perhaps 
this  contraction  only  happens  at  an  earlier  period  of  its 
growth.  It  is  extremely  injurious  to  flax.  "This  circumstance  has 
claimed  some  attention  of  the  farmer;  and  strange  as  it  may  seem, 
some  have  believed  that  the  dust  of  flour  mixed  with  flaxseed  in  a 
bag  would  infallibly  produce  it. 

In  the  more  clayey  parts  of  these  prairies,  we  saw  heaps  of 
earth  as  large  as  a  bushel,  which  are  inhabited  by  a  little  animal 
of  the  mole  kind.  We  found  none  of  the  proprietors  abroad, 
and  we  were  not  prepared  for  invasion.  Their  name,  in  this  quar- 
ter, is  gopher.* 

As  we  were  descending  from  the  prairie,  I  observed  a  halt  in 
the  front  of  our  company;  and  on  riding  forward,  found  our  Ken- 
tucky friend  engaged  in  destroying  a  large  rattle-snake.  This  was 
the  first  venomous  reptile  we  had  seen  on  the  journey,  except  two 
that  lay  dead  in  the  road.  I  believe  we  have  not  seen  half  a. dozen 
snakes  of  any  kind. 

Having  travelled  sixteen  miles  we  took  breakfast  at  Liverpool, 
[now  Washington]  a  village  of  three  houses.  Our  landlord  was 
from  Kentucky;  and  it  appears  that  state  has  furnished  much  of 
the  population  of  this  district. 

Here  the  peach-trees  were  loaded  with  fruit.  We  had  pre- 
viously observed  that  west  of  the  Knobs,  the  frosts  had  not  been 
injurious;  but  fruit  trees  between  these  points  are  scarce. 

*Perhaps  gauffre.  "Only  two  species  [of  Diplostoma]  are  known  as  yet,  and  they 
have  been  discovered  and  ascertained  by  Mr.  Bradbury.  Both  are  found  in  the  Mis- 
souri Territory.  They  burrow  under  ground  and  live  on  roots;  and  are  called  gauffre 
by  the  French  settlers."  C.  F.  RAFINESQUE. 

T— 5 


66  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Throughout  all  this  western  country,  it  is  the  fashion  amongst 
the  middle  or  lower  classes  to  salute  us  by  the  name  of  "stranger." 
The  term  may  often  be  strictly  proper,  and  it  is  seldom,  if  ever, 
accompanied  by  rudeness;  yet  the  practice  is  so  ungraceful,  that  we 
shall  enter  our  protest  against  it,  the  authority  of  Walter  Scott  to 
the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

A  good  tract  of  woodland  extends  three  miles  to  the  West 
Fork  of  White  River.  This  stream  in  size  and  appearance  resembles 
the  other  branches.  Rapids  of  equal  height,  also  are  formed  by  a 
sand  rock  which  occupies  the  whole  bottom  of  the  river,  and  at 
both  places  the  direction  is  straight  across.  On  this  rock  we 
forded. 

No  hills  appear  between  Schultz's  and  Vincennes,  excepting 
those  that  bound  the  flats  on  the  rivers.  It  is  seventeen  miles 
from  the  West  Fork  to  that  turn,  and  much  of  the  eastern  part  of 
that  distance  is  prairie.  Several  miles  east  of  the  Wabash,  we 
entered  woodlands  with  a  more  diversified  surface. 

Observing  a  plumb -tree,  filled  with  large  red  flowers  twelve 
feet  high,  I  turned  from  the  road  to  take  a  fairer  view,  and  with 
surprise  beheld  a  rose  bush  resting  its  vine-like  stem  on  the 
branches  to  that  height.  The  blossoms  are  in  clusters;  and  as  the 
colour  varies  with  age  the  appearance  is  beautiful.  I  have  seen 
this  shrub  almost  every  day  since  we  crossed  the  Sciota,  and  believe 
it  might  be  trained  to  the  height  of  twenty  feet. 

Two  miles  from  Vincennes  we  descended  into  the  prairie  that 
spreads  round  that  town.  Here  the  prospect  over  level  land 
became  extensive;  low  hills  appeared  in  the  horizon,  while  in  the 
intermediate  ground,  the  academy,  rising  above  the  range  of 
buildings,  imparted  a  cast  of  grandeur  to  the  scene.  Backward  on 
our  left,  two  mounds  of  extraordinary  size,  rose  from  the  hill  at 
the  edge  of  the  prairie.  These  seem  to  overlook  the  country,  and 
resembled  in  this  respect  the  monuments  of  the  ancient  Greeks. 

Around  both  urns  we  piPd  a  noble  tomb; 

that  all 

Who  live,  and  who  shall  yet  be  born,  may  view 
Thy  record,  even  from  the  distant  waves. 

COWPER'S  HOMER. 

These  remains  of  antiquity  shew  that  this  plain  has  been  the  seat 
of  wealth  and  power;  and  though  it  is  now  only  the  frontier  town 
of  a  new  race,  it  will  probably  long  retain  a  superiority  over  the 
towns  and  cities  of  this  country. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  67 

/ 

After  sun  set  we  took  lodgings  in  this  ancient  capital  of  the 
West.  36  miles. 

7  mo.  6. — VINCENNES  stands  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Wabash, 
a  beautiful  river,  300  yards  in  breadth.    The  site  is  a  sandy  plain, 
resting  on  gravel.     No  flat,  subject  to  inundation,  intervenes; 
and  a  margin  of  rounded  stones  gradually  slopes  to  the  water. 

This  town  embraces  a  great  extent  of  ground;  but  large 
gardens,  near  most  of  the  houses,  leave  it  but  small  claims  to  com- 
pactness. It  is  decorated  with  a  few  good  buildings  of  frame  and 
brick;  but  there  are  many  of  logs  and  plaster,  on  which  we  can 
bestow  no  commendations. 

Every  valuable  or  elegant  improvement  is  recent;  for  although 
this  place  has  been  settled  almost  a  century  by  the  French,  we 
have  remarked  that  the  mode  of  business  first  adopted  by  new 
settlers,  long  continues  to  operate;  and  the  history  of  this  town  may 
be  cited  as  an  example.  A  few  hunters  associated  with  Indians 
were  the  first  white  inhabitants;  and  though  after  the  lapse  of  a 
few  years  several  Canadian  families  arrived;  and  though  they 
retained  much  of  the  national  politeness,  it  appears  that  the  cabin 
bounded  their  views  in  architecture,  and  corn  purchased  of  the 
natives  has  frequently  preserved  their  existence. 

This  primitive  indolence,  though  lessened  in  appearance  by 
the  influx  of  a  northern  population,  is  still  conspicuous;  and  I  sus- 
pect in  some  measure  contagious.  Several  enclosures  are  filled 
with  Jimson*  as  high  as  the  fences;  and  without  this  notice,  a 
view  of  the  town  would  be  incomplete. 

But  perhaps  a  traveller  never  commits  greater  injustice  than 
in  generalizing  his  remarks;  for  the  meritorious  and  the  unworthy 
will  be  found  in  all  districts,  and  in  all  communities.  Neither  am 
I  unapprised  that  in  reviewing  these  inhabitants,  there  are  many 
considerations  to  soften  the  severity  of  criticism. 

The  precepts  of  charity  require  that  man  should  be  judged  by 
his  own  moral  principles.  And,  the  point  at  which  he  stops  in 
one  state  of  society,  may  be  censurable,  while  in  another  state, 
to  have  advanced  to  that  point,  may  be  merit  of  the  first  degree. 

Separated  from  the  civilized  world  by  immense  forests,  this 
people  were  estranged  to  its  comforts,  its  ambition,  and,  doubtless, 
to  much  of  its  crime.  Avarice  had  small  opportunity  to  amass 
treasure,  and  the  love  of  splendour  could  be  very  partially  gratified. 
If,  then,  we  consider  that  the  two  main-springs  of  action  in  civilized 
society  were  wanting,  we  shall  cease  to  wonder  at  this  result. 

*i.  e.  Jamestown  weed,  the  thorn  apple  (Dalura  stramonium.) 


68  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

But  in  addition,  they  were  a  conquered  people.  The  British 
kept  a  garrison  in  their  town  for  a  number  of  years;  and  since  the 
Anglo-Americans  arrived,  they  have  often  been  exposed  to  Indian 
hostilities.  Indeed  when  we  consider  the  paralysing  effects  of  such 
a  state,  and  that  partially  it  has  continued  till  the  present  time, 
our  censures  should  be  sparingly  pronounced. 

At  the  time  of  determining  the  streets,  no  correct  idea  could 
have  been  formed,  of  the  increase  of  population  and  of  conse- 
quence that  await  this  town.  A  want  of  sufficient  room  in  some 
has  accordingly  been  the  result;  but  this  inconvenience,  in  a  few 
years,  will  be  more  sensibly  felt.  Paving  has  not  been  com- 
menced; and  though  the  soil  is  sandy,  these  avenues  are  occasion- 
ally incommoded  by  mud.  The  houses  are  built  on  different 
squares,  but  are  more  extended  along  the  river.  The  number  we 
should  estimate  between  200  and  300. 

This  plain  is  very  fertile.  Although  the  sand  is  clear  or  white, 
the  "finely  divided  matter"  is  so  abundant  as  to  give  a  black 
colour  to  the  mass.  In  such  gardens  as  are  well  cultivated,  the 
vegetation  is  luxuriant.  Drouths  are  slightly  felt.  The  soil  is  so 
absorbent,  and  the  loose  substratum  admits  the  ascent  of  moisture 
so  freely,  that  though  rain  has  been  withheld  eleven  weeks,  we 
saw  small  traces  of  such  extreme. 

Modern  geographers  have  assigned  fine  grass  to  this  plain. 
Such  an  idea  is  easily  acquired  by  inference;  because  a  rich  soil, 
like  this  to  the  north  east  would  produce  fine  grass, — but  the 
error  is  striking.  Indeed,  sufficient  proof  might  be  educed  to  shew 
that  on  this  spot  none  ever  vegetated.  The  herbage  chiefly 
consists  of  perennial  weeds  with  spaces  of  naked  earth  between, 
which  coarse  wild  grass,  probably  once  occupied. 

On  the  bank  of  the  river  I  found  several  petrifactions.  One  of 
these  in  grit  and  colour  resembled  the  white  part  of  the  Irish 
hone.  The  tree  that  gave  it  shape  had  been  six  inches  in  diameter, 
and  this  fragment  contained  one  fifth  of  the  circumference.  The 
bark  had  been  removed.  The  surface  left  by  that  covering  retained 
its  smoothness;  and  the  different  annual  growths  were  distinctly 
visible. 

About  ten  o'clock  we  commenced  our  journey  up  the  river 
towards  Fort  Harrison.  Near  the  town  I  counted  seven  small 
mounds.  Adjoining  these  a  bank  and  ditch  remain  which  once 
belonged  to  a  small  fortress  or  store  house,  probably  erected  since 
the  arrival  of  Europeans.  All  this  bank  of  the  river  is  beyond  the 
reach  of  inundation. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  69 

We  soon  passed  into  woodland.  Fort  Knox  once  stood  on  this 
bank,  two  miles  above  the  town;  but  the  site  is  now  only  discover- 
able by  excavations,  remnants  of  old  chimnies,  and  hewn  timber 
scattered  over  the  ground.  The  soil,  though  dry  and  gravelly, 
produced,  wherever  the  trees  had  been  thinned  by  the  axe,  briars* 
of  luxuriant  growth;  and  the  blackberry  was  now  ripe. 

From  a  bank  a  little  further  up  the  river,  a  thick  stratum  of 
sandstone  projects.  It  contains  mica,  like  that  at  Pittsburgh 
which  is  formed  into  grindstones. 

Yesterday,  seven  miles  east  of  Vincennes,  I  noticed  mica 
slate,  and  at  that  town  several  waggon  loads  of  this  stone  were 
lying  in  a  heap;  but  I  could  not  learn  whence  it  was  brought. 
From  its  appearance  on  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Erie,  and  in  all 
the  principal  ridges  of  the  Allegany,  it  is  probable  that  the  sec- 
ondary strata,  throughout  the  Ohio  country,  rest  on  this  rock; 
but  whether  it  projects  in  places  through  these  strata, — or  whether 
the  small  quantities  which  I  observed  were  brought  by  the  great 
northern  deluge  from  the  ridge  that  divides  the  waters  of  the  Ohio 
and  St.  Lawrence — can  only  be  determined  by  the  position  of 
these  masses. 

The  stems  of  the  Trumpet-flower  at  White  River  were  diminu- 
tive; but  here  these  plants  had  climbed  up  many  of  the  trees  to 
the  tops;  and  the  large  reddish  blossoms  extending  beyond  the 
branches,  presented  objects  uncommonly  novel  and  beautiful. 

[A  just  medium  between  cool  reserve  and  colloquial  freedom, 
in  recording  travels,  is  a  desideratum.  It  is  true,  our  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  traveller  increases  as  he  unfolds  his  pleasures  and 
his  sufferings;  but  still  there  is  an  insipid  triteness,  and  a  minute- 
ness of  detail  that  we  wish  not  to  hear.  We  care  not  whether  he 
loves  fat  meat  or  lean;  carries  a  cane,  or  walks  with  his  hands  in 
his  pockets.  Such  facts  are  of  no  value.  It  must  be  confessed, 
however,  that  the  temptation  to  egotistic  prolixity  is  great;  and, 
ware  of  this  danger,  I  should  be  deterred  from  retaining  the  fol- 
owing  paragraph,  did  it  not  convey  instruction  which  ought  not 
to  be  withheld.] 

Since  we  ascended  the  Knobs,  my  -health  had  been  gradually 
declining.  My  stomach  was  the  seat  of  the  disease.  Paroxysms 
of  that  distressing  sensation,  which  physicians  have  denominated 
anxiety,  had  daily  increased;  and  my  friend  J.  S.  had  marked  the 
change  with  silent  apprehension.  On  descending  into  the  first 
flats  of  the  river,  it  returned  with  violence,  and  I  entreated  my 

*Rubus  villosus. 


70  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

companions  to  prepare  an  emetic  without  delay;  but  the  proposal 
was  rejected,  for  the  air  was  replete  with  putrid  vapour,  the  sky 
overcast,  and  the  ground  wet  with  the  late  rain.  In  this  comfort- 
less extremity,  without  the  means  of  preparation,  I  applied 
dry  pearlash  to  my  tongue  till  the  skin  was  abraded,  taking  it 
rather  in  agony  than  with  hope.  The  relief,  however,  was  sudden : 
the  fomes  of  fever  was  neutralized,  and  my  recovery  seemed 
like  enchantment. 

[Repeated  doses  of  this  alkali  in  a  few  days  completed  the  cure; 
and  since,  I  have  frequently  witnessed  its  efficacy  on  others.  Its 
action  is  chiefly  chemical.  In  acidity  of  the  first  passages  it  is 
invaluable;  in  dysentery  it  has  ranked  as  a  specific;  and  though  no 
medicine  deserve  this  encomium,  yet  it  has  speedily  afforded 
relief  in  numerous  cases  of  that  dreadful  disease. 

A  lump,  the  size  of  a  hazelnut,  dissolved  in  half  a  gill  of  water, 
is  a  small  dose  for  an  adult;  but  when  there  is  much  acid,  more 
pearlash  will  be  necessary  to  neutralize  it;  and  in  such  cases  twice 
that  quantity  may  be  taken  with  safety,  if  the  solution  be  suffi- 
ciently diluted.] 

Eight  miles  above  Vincennes,  we  passed  from  the  woodland 
flats  into  the  south  end  of  the  prairie  that  extends  up  to  Shaker- 
town.  Old  driftwood  and  weeds  encumbered  the  soil,  which  was 
black  and  very  fertile;  but  we  could  not  believe  that  human  beings 
could  frequent  it  in  summer  and  enjoy  health;  yet  we  saw  huts 
that  were  inhabited  on  the  border  towards  the  river. 

As  we  advanced,  the  prospect  became  more  inviting;  and  we 
discovered  what  we  had  not  before  learned,  that  these  celebrated 
prairies  are  the  upper  or  second  flats  on  the  river.  The  surface  is 
undulated;  and  at  once  we  assent  to  the  opinion,  that  it  owes 
its  form  to  some  preternatural  deluge.  The  back  channel,  or 
bayou,  through  which  the  water  flows  when  the  currents  of  the 
creeks  are  checked  by  the  river  floods,  unquestionably  had  the 
same  origin.  The  level  part  of  this  channel  is  several  rods  widr, 
and  in  many  places  it  was  covered  by  standing  water;  yet  we  saw 
no  spot  that  appeared  miry,  and  the  cattle,  which  were  feeding  in 
considerable  numbers,  passed  over  without  difficult}'.  The  sides 
of  the  bayou  slope  so  gradually,  that  except  in  the  lines  of  drift- 
wood no  traces  of  inundation  are  visible. 

The  advantages  that  these  natural  canals  afford  in  times  of 
flood  have  not  been  overlooked;  and  boats  often  pass  up  the  coun- 
try at  the  distance  of  one  or  two  miles  from  the  river. 

The  path,  which  in  places  scarcely  served  to  direct  us,  led  along 


DAVID  THOMAS.  71 

the  eastern  side  of  the  bayou;  and  after  riding  a  few  miles,  we 
gained  a  beautiful  ridge  on  which  we  stopped  to  refresh  our  horses. 
Hard  wild  grass  scarcely  one  foot  high,  thinly  scattered  among 
weeds,  constituted  the  pasturage.  Were  we  to  judge  only  from 
this  appearance  we  should  not  fix  the  estimate  of  its  fertility  very 
high;  but  Indian  corn  of  a  most  luxuriant  growth,  as  high  as  the 
fences,  presented  a  remarkable  contrast;  and  the  looseness  and 
blackness  of  the  soil  on  that  eminence,  which  for  ages  has  been 
above  the  river  floods,  excited  our  admiration. 

To  the  west,  the  land  rises  from  the  bayou  for  a  considerable 
distance;  and  the  summit,  crowned  with  trees,  hid  the  river  from 
our  view.  On  the  east  side  of  this  prairie,  several  farms  appear 
which  were  probably  located  for  the  convenience  of  timber,  as  we 
saw  none  where  the  proprietors  had  ventured  far  out  into  the 
plain.  This  tract  is  from  one  to  three  miles  wide,  and  ten  or  twelve 
miles  in  length;  and  the  novelty,  beauty,  and  extent  of  the  pros- 
pect had  a  very  sensible  effect  on  our  spirits. 

The  wind  met  us,  on  entering  this  prairie,  and  continued  so 
regular  as  to  remind  me  of  the  current  from  a  fanning-mill.  Like 
the  clouds  that  move  in  the  superior  regions  of  the  atmosphere, 
it  was  exempt  from  the  flaws  and  whirls  that  prevail  amongst  hills 
and  vallies. 

Shakertown,  the  residence  of  the  Shakers,  consists  of  eight  or 
ten  houses  of  hewn  logs,  situate  on  a  ridge  west  of  the  bayou, 
eighteen  miles  above  Vincennes.  The  site  is  moderately  elevated. 
As  we  approached,  the  blackness  of  the  soil,  and  the  luxuriance  of 
vegetation,  was  peculiarly  attractive;  but  much  water  was  stand- 
ing on  the  low  grounds  to  the  east;  and  a  mill-pond  on  Busseron 
Creek,  of  considerable  extent  to  the  west,  must  suffuse  the  whole 
village  with  unwholesome  exhalations.  In  addition,  the  first 
flats  of  the  Wabash,  extending  one  mile  west  from  the  creek,  are 
frequently  overflowed  by  the  river. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  is  estimated  at  two  hundred,  who 
live  in  four  families. 

Pondering  on  the  evils  of  this  mortal  life,  some  have  doubted 
whether  it  was  given  in  wrath  or  in  mercy;*  and  though  we  are 
not  authorised  to  assert,  that  this  sect  has  been  influenced  by 
darksided  views  of  our  nature,  yet  marriage  is  prohibited.  From 
dancing,  as  an  act  of  devotion,  their  name  is  derived.  Like  several 
other  sects,  they  conform  to  great  plainness  in  apparel,  but  their 
garb  is  peculiar.  In  language  they  are  also  very  distinguishable. 

*  Jefferson's  Notes. 


72  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

It  appears  that  all  complimentary  phrases  are  discarded;  but 
they  never  use  the  second  person  singular  in  conversation,  or  say 
yes  or  no,  substituting  for  the  latter  terms  yea  and  nay;  and 
tho'  I  contend  with  no  man  about  his  religious  principles,— believ- 
ing that  in  every  nation  he  that  worketh  righteousness  is  accepted, 
—yet  I  could  not  resist  the  impression,  that  they  had  mistaken 
the  antiquated  style  of  King  James  the  first  for  the  original  lan- 
guage of  the  Scriptures. 

In  their  dealings  they  are  esteemed  as  very  honest  and  exem- 
plary. Until  within  a  few  months  they  entertained  travellers 
without  any  compensation;  but  the  influx  has  become  so  great  that 
they  have  found  it  necessary  to  depart  from  that  practice. 

The  estate  at  this  place  consists  of  about  1,300  acres.  The 
mills,  which  they  have  erected,  are  a  great  accommodation  to  this 
part  of  the  country,  and  to  these  they  have  added  carding  machines. 

A  field  of  sixty  acres  of  wheat  on  the  north  side  of  this  village* 
has  just  been  reapt,  and  put  up  in  shock.  The  crop  is  excellent. 

Indigo  and  cotton,  to  the  extent  of  a  few  acres,  are  cultivated; 
and  the  plants  appeared  in  a  thriving  state.  The  products* 
are  wholly  designed  for  home  consumption.  It  is  not  pretended 
that  these  articles  would  afford  a  profit  on  exportation;  but  it  is 
deemed  economical  to  raise  a  sufficiency  for  this  numerous  family. 
The  price  of  Tennessee  cotton  would  be  enhanced  by  the  carriage 
hither,  and  the  profits  of  this  cotton  would  be  reduced  by  its 
transportation  to  a  market.  The  same  reasoning  will  apply 
to  the  indigo  with  this  additional  circumstance:  it  is  only  macer- 
ated, and  the  fabrics  to  be  coloured  are  then  introduced.  Much 
labour  in  preparing  it  is  consequently  saved. 

These  people  settled  here  before  the  late  war;  but  after  their 
estate  was  ravaged  by  the  troops  who  went  with  Hopkins  on  his 
expedition,  they  sought  refuge  amongst  their  own  sect  in  Ohio 
and  in  Kentucky,  and  only  returned  last  summer.  They  have  a 
fine  young  orchard  of  grafted  apple  trees;  and  their  nursery  is 
considered  as  the  best  in  the  country. 

Their  neat  cattle  are  numerous.  Their  flock  of  sheep  consists 
of  some  hundreds,  and  a  shepherd  with  his  dog  and  gun  is  employed 
as  a  guard. 

Sweet  potatoes  grow  remarkably  well  in  this  black  sand. 

The  common  potatoe  flourishes  most  in  a  rich  soil,  watered  by 
frequent  showers;  but  though  the  late  drouth  has  been  unfavour- 

*About  150  IDS.  of  clean  cotton  is  produced  on  an  acre. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  73 

able,  the  appearance  of  this  plant  is  much  finer  than  some  of  our 
travellers  had  induced  us  to  expect. 

Water  is  procured  from  a  well  between  twenty  and  thirty  feet 
deep.  In  digging  they  found  the  sand  coarser  as  they  descended, 
until  it  terminated  in  gravel  so  loose,  that  to  prevent  the  sides 
from  falling,  it  became  necessary  to  work  in  the  hollow  trunk  of 
a  buttonwood,*  which  they  introduced;  and  which  settling  as  the 
gravel  was  removed,  ensured  their  safety,  and  now  forms  the  wall 
of  the  well.  It  ought  to  be  repeated,  however,  that  wood  soaking 
in  water  always  injures  the  quality. 

The  extensive  flat,  between  Busseron  Creek  and  the  River, 
abounds  with  the  Pecan ,f  a  species  of  hickory.  The  nut  is  super- 
ior in  delicacy  of  flavour,  and  the  shell  is  so  soft  as  to  yield  to  com- 
mon teeth.  The  Indians,  as  well  as  the  white  inhabitants,  have 
gathered  it  in  great  quantities;  a  market  is  found  for  it  in  every 
considerable  village  of  this  country;  and  at  the  falls  of  the  Ohio, 
the  current  price  has  been  four  dollars  a  bushel,  or  twenty-five 
cents  a  quart. 

On  our  arrival,  we  found  a  young  man  of  genteel  appearance, 
from  Kentucky.  His  intention  had  been  to  explore  the  country  up 
the  river,  but  he  concluded  to  direct  his  course  to  the  Missouri, 
giving  it  as  a  reason  that  farmers  in  this  territory  must  perform 
their  own  labour. 

After  procuring  some  refreshment,  we  resumed  our  journey,— 
turning  eastward,  and  nearly  at  right  angles  to  the  river,  intend- 
ing to  visit  M.  Hoggatt,  to  whom  we  had  been  directed  by  our 
friends  at  Lick  Creek.  He  resides  on  a  farm  belonging  to  the  Shak- 
ers, at  the  distance  of  seven  miles. 

The  configuration  of  this  district  is  so  different  from  the  regions 
to  the  east,  only  excepting  some  small  tracts  near  the  borders  of 
the  Sciota,  that  we  seem  to  have  arrived  in  a  new  world.  Where- 
ever  the  surface  of  the  ground  has  been  broken,  the  blackness  and 
depth  of  the  soil  excite  our  admiration.  Neither  is  there  any  thing 
delusive  in  this  appearance,  for  the  growth  of  the  crops  fully  equals 
any  expectation  we  could  form. 

Three  miles  from  Shakertown,  we  passed  a  field  which  con- 
tained the  harvest  of  two  seasons.  Last  autumn  the  Indian  corn 
had  been  cut  near  the  ground,  and  put  into  well  banded  shocks. 
Wheat  was  then  sown  amongst  them;  it  had  produced  a  fine  crop, 

*Platanus  occidentalis.     The  sycamore. 
tPronounced  Pek-kawn. 


74  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

and  this  was  now  also  standing  in  shocks, — a  clear  inference  that 
provisions  are  plenty. 

Plants  which  are  not  found  in  the  eastern  parts  of  the  United 
States  are  very  numerous;  perhaps  three  fourths  of  the  herbage  is 
of  this  description.  I  noticed  three  species  of  Helianthusf  one  of 
which  is  a  remarkable  plant.  It  grows  six  feet  high  with  a  disk 
nearly  three  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  leaves  much  resemble  the 
fern.  Observing  it  first  near  the  Sciota,  before  the  stalk  had  arisen, 
I  even  believed  it  to  be  one  of  this  curious  assemblage.  Nature, 
like  water  poured  on  a  plain,  though  spreading  into  varieties  in 
every  direction,  is  partial  to  particular  forms;  and  perhaps  this 
partiality  is  evinced  in  nothing  more  than  in  fern  leaves. 

A  small  though  beautiful  species  of  Hollyhock  is  scattered  over 
the  prairie.  Its  blossoms  are  a  fine  red.  At  first  sight,  I 
considered  it  an  exotic ;  but  it  may  be  a  native,  for  it  is  found 
in  the  .wildest  situations  among  the  groves. 

From  this  prairie  we  ascended  a  ridge, — not  steep,  and  of  a 
moderate  elevation, — thinly  shaded  by  small  trees.  The  sand 
continues,  but  a  diminution  of  fertility  is  immediately  discern- 
ible, though  the  district  eastward  may  be  called  a  tract  of  good 
land.  It  is  composed  of  some  ridges  of  that  description  with  inter- 
vening vales.  Beyond,  the  prospect  opened  into  a  clayey  prairie 
of  great  extent,  which  is  nearly  destitute  of  Inhabitants. 

We  shall  not  be  surprised  if  many  situations  in  this  district 
prove  unhealthy.  The  streams  have  low  banks  and  in  heavy 
rains,  spread  wide  through  the  vallies,  but  the  water  may  be  easily 
led  off,  whenever  it  shall  be  undertaken  with  spirit,  and  in  such 
business  the  scraper  would  be  eminently  useful. 

As  we  advanced  across  the  prairie,  we  saw  horses,  neat  cattle 
and  swine,  scattered  over  it  in  considerable  numbers,  and  moving 
about  in  different  directions.  Though  we  had  seen  much  of  such 
openings,  our  relish  of  the  novelty  was  unsated;  and  these  feel- 
ings were  not  diminished,  when  we  saw  across  this  great  but  uncul- 
tivated plain, — on  the  remote  border  of  the  civilized  world,  and 
where  only  log  cabins  have  appeared  legitimate — a  spacious  brick 
mansion  in  front  of  the  woodlands.  This  evinces  a  spirit  of 
improvement  highly  commendable. 

In  several  places  the  land  was  gullied,  and  afforded  an  oppor- 
tunity to  observe  that  the  black  soil  is  nearly  two  feet  deep; 
and  that  it  rests  on  a  substratum  of  yellowish  clay.  If  this  part 
was  more  remote  from  the  sandy  prairies,  it  would  rank  higher  in 
the  estimation  of  farmers. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  75 

In  the  evening  we  arrived  at  our  intended  lodgings,  where  we 
met  a  cordial  welcome.  Hospitality  is  a  strong  characteristic  of 
southern  manners;  and  our  friend,  to  an  enlightened  mind,  has 
added  the  sympathies  acquired  by  travel. 

This,  and  two  other  families  who  live  adjacent,  constitute  all 
of  the  society  of  Friends  now  known  to  be  residents  near  this 
river.  25  miles. 

7  mo.  1 . — LAST  night  we  had  a  heavy  storm.  In  the  evening 
the  wind  and  scud  were  easterly,  but  the  approach  of  thunder 
and  lightning  from  the  west,  proved  that  the  upper  currents  of 
the  atmosphere  move  from  that  quarter.  This  morning  was 
overcast,  with  an  east  wind, — evincing  that  counter  currents 
similar  to  those  on  the  east  side  of  the  Allegany  Mountains  pre- 
vail even  here. 

Our  friend  has  resided  between  two  and  three  years  on  this 
farm.  On  his  first  removal  from  North  Carolina,  he  fixed  his 
abode  at  Blue  River;  but  came  hither  to  explore  the  lands  of  the 
New  Purchase  previous  to  the  sale.  These  lands  have  excited 
much  attention,  but  various  circumstances  have  conspired  to 
prevent  the  surveys  from  being  completed. 

It  will  be  recollected,  that  the  expedition  to  Tippecanoe 
resulted  from  the  dissatisfaction  of  the  Indians,  to  the  treaty  in 
which  their  title  to  this  tract  became  extinguished;  that  hostili- 
ties on  their  part  commenced  in  the  spring  of  1812;  and  that 
after  the  defeat  of  Proctor,  and  the  death  of  Tecumseh  at  Mo- 
ravian town  in  upper  Canada,  the  Indians  sued  for  peace.  The 
treaty  that  followed,  however,  did  not  restore  tranquillity.  A 
Potawattamie  chief,  reposing  confidence  in  that  arrangement, 
proceeded  to  Vincennes;  but  the  next  morning  he  was  found  dead 
in  the  street,  into  which  he  had  been  dragged,  and  his  skull  frac- 
tured apparently  by  clubs.  On  this  occasion  it  was  remarked,  that 
though  Indians  often  kill  each  other,  their  weapons  are  the  knife 
and  the  tomahawk.  The  perpetrators  of  this  outrage  remained 
undiscovered.  The  chief  was  buried  with  the  honours  of  war;  but 
the  light  in  which  the  Indians  viewed  the  transaction  was  soon 
disclosed  by  the  murder  of  several  white  settlers.  After  this  retal- 
iation, though  hostilities  were  discontinued,  yet  perfect  cordial- 
ity was  not  restored  till  the  treaty  at  Fort  Harrison  in  the  present 
season.  One  of  the  surveyors  who  had  been  deterred  by  these 
unfavourable  circumstances  from  fulfilling  his  contract,  is  now 
out  with  a  company. 

These  last  acts  of  violence  happened  since  our  friend  arrived 


76  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

at  this  place,  and  several  of  his  neighbours  were  sufferers.  The 
case  of  one  3'oung  man  is  too  extraordinary  to  be  omitted.  Riding 
out  to  hunt  cattle,  he  passed  near  Indians  in  ambush,  who  shot 
him  through  the' body,  and  he  fell  from  his  horse.  As  the  savages 
advanced  to  scalp  him,  he  recovered  from  the  shock;  ran  with  his 
utmost  speed,  warmly  pursued;  and  in  the  moment  of  extremity 
when  his  strength  and  breath  failed  him,  his  horse,  which  had 
loitered  behind,  came  up  on  full  gallop  and  allowed  him  to 
remount.  He  effected  his  escape,  recovered  from  his  wound,  and 
is  now  living. 

This  farm  consists  of  1,000  acres.  The  soil  contains  little  sand, 
and  is  consequently  more  favourable  to  some  crops  than  the 
Prairies  near  the  river.  We  are  told  that  timothy  flourishes;  but 
a  drowth,  the  longest  known  in  many  years,  which  only  ceased  a 
few  days  ago, — and  the  army  worm,  which  has  ravaged  the  mead- 
ows,— prevent  us  from  forming  a  proper  judgment  from  our  own 
observation.  By  the  same  creature,  the  corn  has  perished  twice 
this  season. 

These  animals,  which  have  committed  similar  depredations  in 
the  eastern  part  of  Ohio,  bear  some  resemblance  to  the  grub- 
worm;  and  are  regarded  as  periodical.  The  name  is  derived  from 
their  moving  by  myriads  in  one  direction.  Some  fields  and 
meadows  have  been  saved  by  deep  furrows,  in  which  logs  were 
constantly  drawn  by  horses,  so  long  as  these  devourers  continued 
to  approach.  In  this  manner  thousands  on  thousands  have  been 
destroyed. 

Wood,  for  fuel  and  for  fences,  is  an  object  of  such  importance 
to  the  farmer,  that  none  is  yet  found  willing  to  forego  that  con- 
venience, and  to  seat  himself  out  in  the  prairie.  On  this  account, 
a  stranger  is  liable  to  err  in  judging  of  the  population,  for  we  find 
the  eastern  border  of  this  tract  thickly  inhabited. 

To  satisfy  the  claims  of  the  old  French  settlers,  the  United 
States  directed  to  be  set  apart,  all  the  lands  bounded  on  the 
west  by  the  Wabash  River;  on  the  south  by  the  White  River;  on 
the  east  by  the  West  branch;  and  on  the  north  by  the  north  bounds 
of  the  Old  Purchase.  Four  hundred  acres  was  assigned  to  each 
person  entitled  to  a  donation.  The  land  has  never  been  surveyed 
by  order  of  the  government,  consequently  it  has  never  been  regu- 
larly performed;  and  the  maps  of  this  territory  within  these  bound- 
aries are  generally  blank. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  77 

All  lands  held  in  this  quarter  are  therefore  under  French* 
grants.  In  locating,  it  was  necessary  to  begin  at  the  general  bound- 
ary, or  at  some  corner  of  lands,  the  lines  of  which  would  lead 
thither;  but  no  course  was  given,  and  the  claimant  settled  the 
point  with  his  surveyor  as  he  deemed  most  to  his  interest.  These 
claims  have  been  the  source  of  considerable  speculation;  but  the 
principal  part  is  now  located;  and  it  is  expected  there  will  be  a 
large  surplus  of  land,  soon  to  be  surveyed  by  the  United  States. 

Many  of  these  tracts  will  be  destitute  of  timber  fences.  In 
some  parts  of  the  Grand  Prairie,  which  extends  from  the  Wabash 
towards  the  Mississippi,  we  are  informed  that  ditches  are  advan- 
tageously constructed.  The  sods  are  placed  on  the  edges  in  two 
parallel  rows,  with  the  turf  outward;  the  loose  earth  from  both 
trenches  is  employed  for  filling;  and  the  strong  roots  of  the  wild 
grass  on  vegetating,  bind  the  parts  firmly  together. 

It  appears  that  this  prairie  has  not  been  ravaged  by  fire  for 
some  years;  and  in  various  parts,  but  more  especially  near  the 
eastern  border,  shrubs  and  young  trees  begin  to  shade  the  soil. 
Their  scattered  situations,  with  the  injuries  received  from  cattle, 
give  them  a  stunted  aspect.  From  these  circumstances  it  will  be 
difficult  to  judge  what  quality  of  timber  this  prairie  would  pro- 
duce; but  where  it  terminates  on  the  east  in  a  stately  wood  of 
honey  locust,  sugar  maple,  blue  and  white  ash,  I  can  perceive  no 
change  of  soil.  Neither  have  I  discovered  any  marks  of  an  imper- 
vious subsoil;  and  must  ascribe  the  destruction  of  the  ancient  for- 
est, with  the  wastes  below  Meadville,  to  conflagration. 

This  opinion  may  be  explained  by  a  few  observations.  Near 
some  part  of  every  prairie  that  we  have  seen,  whether  clayey  or 
sandy,  there  are  trees  of  diminutive  size;  and  though  not  always 
distant  from  each  other,  the  sun  and  air  has  such  access  that  the 
dampness  which  prevails  in  forests,  is  generally  unknown.  The 
leaves  and  herbage,  consequently  become  highly  combustible; 
and  the  flame  driven  by  brisk  winds,  will  enlarge  the  boundaries 
of  the  prairie.  Several  instances  of  this  have  been  before  us.  The 
small  timber  has  been  destroyed,  and  many  large  trees  have  been 
partly  burnt.  The  cause  why  this  prairie  extends  close  to  the  tall 
wood  on  the  east,  will  doubtless  be  found  in  these  circumstances; 
for  though  windfalls  would  let  in  the  sun  and  air,  and  be  attended 
by  a  similar  diminution  of  moisture,  we  recollect  no  such  tracts 
in  the  Western  Country. 

The  Columbo  Root  grows  here  in  great  abundance. 

*I  have  since  learned  that  some  militia  claims  were  located  in  this  tract.  The 
residue  is  directed  to  be  sold  on  the  1st  of  9th  mo.  1818. 


78  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

In  winter  when  hay  and  corn  have  been  scarce,  some  farmers 
in  this  district  have  driven  their  cattle  towards  the  White  River. 
The  woods  shelter  them  from  the  winds;  and  abound  with  grass, 
bearing  the  name  of  that  season,  which  is  evergreen,  two  or  three 
feet  in  height,  and  extremely  nutritious.  In  spring,  the  droves 
return  home  literally  fat.  This  advantage,  however  will  be  tem- 
porary. 

Every  district,  marked  by  small  differences  of  soil  and  climate, 
has  plants  and  animals  peculiar.  This  remark  which  occurred 
at  P.  113,  is  well  exemplified  by  these  wastes,  and  we  have  already 
learned  the  names  of  several  new  quadrupeds. 

The  prairie  wolf  is  half  the  size  of  the  common  wolf,  and  it  is 
believed  to  be  specifically  distinct.  It  is  confined  to  the  prairies, 
and  burrows  in  the  sandy  earth.  The  colour  is  grey.  The  legs  are 
short,  flat,  broad,  and  stronger  in  proportion  than  the  common 
wolf.  It  has  not  been  known  to  injure  domestic  animals;  but  when 
sheep  are  more  generally  introduced,  it  will  doubtless  acquire  new 
habits. 

Its  motion  is  slow;  and  when  discovered  out  in  the  prairie 
far  from  its  burrow,  is  easily  run  down  by  horsemen.  One  was 
pursued,  and  so  much  exhausted  in  a  mile,  that  the  men  leapt 
from  their  horses,  and  dispatched  it  with  clubs. 

The  gopher  has  been  mentioned. 

The  prairie  squirrel  in  size  and  colour  nearly  resembles  the 
grey  squirrel,  but  the  legs  are  shorter.  It  is  only  found  in  these 
districts  and  burrows  like  the  prairie  wolf. 

It  was  suggested  by  some  men  of  observation  that,  as  these 
creatures  are  only  found  in  the  prairies,  such  land  must  have  been 
in  this  state  since  the  creation.  But  I  cannot  perceive  that  this 
conclusion  is  necessarily  implied.  We  have  no  facts  to  shew  that 
land  destitute  of  timber  is  essential  to  their  existence;  we  only 
know  that  their  manners  at  present  are  best  adapted  to  such 
scenes.  Indeed  we  have  strong  reasons  for  doubting  the  correct- 
ness of  this  inference.  We  have  no  evidence  of  original  prairies, 
except  those  that  were  formed  by  excess  of  moisture.  We  have  no 
evidence  of  dry  prairies,  before  conflagrations  became  regular: 
in  other  words,  before  the  arrival  of  human  beings  on  this  con- 
tinent. The  persimmon,  the  tea  plant,  and  every  other  tree  that 
can  bear  the  annual  bearing,  shoot  up  in  abundance;  and  if  such 
were  undisturbed  by  fire,  by  cattle  and  by  culture,  these  wastes 
in  fifty  years  would  be  shaded  by  forests, — not  lofty  indeed,  but 
such  as  sand  resting  on  gravel  would  nourish  and  support. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  79 

The  grey  squirrel,  the  ground  squirrel,  and  the  flying  squirrel, 
are  found  native,  but  do  not  appear  to  be  numerous.  To  this  list 
should  be  added  the  fox  squirrel  of  the  southern  states. 

The  deer,  the  elk,  the  wolf,  and  the  bear,  inhabit  the  woods. 
The  panther  has  been  rarely  discovered,  but  the  wild  cat  is  num- 
erous. 

In  the  brown  rabbit,  which  has  frequently  bounded  across 
our  path,  I  recognized  an  old  acquaintance,  and  with  it  associated 
the  remembrance  of  early  days.  This  quadruped  appears  to  be 
very  numerous. 

7  mo.  8. — THE  weather  of  both  yesterday  and  to-day,  has  been 
unfavourable  to  travelling,  as  showers  have  been  frequent,  though 
the  wind  and  scud  are  from  the  east.  This  circumstance,  with  the 
unaffected  kindness  of  our  friends,  has  induced  us  to  remain 
stationary. 

At  Vincennes  I  observed  a  curious  fly-flapper.  The  construc- 
tion is  simple,  and  in  hot  weather  the  fresh  air  that  attends  its 
motion,  is  scarcely  less  agreeable  than  relief  from  these  trouble- 
some insects.  Its  position  is  over  the  centre  of  the  table. 

Two  strips  of  lath  three  feet  long,  with  a  hole  in  the  lower  end  of 
each  to  receive  a  gudgeon,  are  first  prepared.  A  broad  board  with 
a  gudgeon  so  placed  in  each  end,  that  one  edge  shall  always  prepond- 
erate, is  then  connected  with  the  strips.  To  that  edge  a  piece  of 
linen  one  foot  wide  is  fastened;  and  a  handle,  eighteen  inches  long, 
projects  from  the  opposite  edge.  The  upper  ends  of  the  laths  are 
then  nailed  at  the  ceiling,  and  a  small  cord  attached  to  the  handle 
communicates  motion  to  the  instrument. 

A  joint  in  the  laths  near  the  ceiling  would  afford  the  conven- 
ience of  elevating  or  removing  it  at  pleasure. 

The  privileges  granted  to  the  Canadian  Volunteers  have  occa- 
sioned severe  strictures  on  the  general  government;  and  in  travel- 
ling one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  we  have  conversed  with  but  few 
persons  who  have  not  expressed  dissatisfaction.  We  are  told  that 
the  whole  of  the  New  Purchase,  excepting  fractions*  and  public 

*A  fraction  is  a  tract  of  land  where  rivers  or  oblique  boundaries  have  prevented  the 
section  from  being  completed.  It  may  consist  of  any  quantity  less  than  a  section. 

The  law  of  Congress  which  authorized  these  donations,  directed  that  the  Canadian 
claimants  should  locate  by  sections  and  quarter  sections.  Fractions  not  having  been 
mentioned,  and  as  many  of  these  are  very  valuable,  and  include  nearly  all  the  lands 
adjoining  the  river,  the  Register  of  the  Land  Office  with  propriety  reserved  them  till 
the  day  of  the  public  sale. 

Lot  number  sixteen  in  every  township,  as  in  other  parts  of  this  territory,  is  appropri- 
ated for  the  use  of  schools.  A  tract  has  also  been  reserved  round  Fort  Harrison.  We 
knew  of  no  other  reservation,  though  possibly  some  may  be  made  on  account  of 
minerals. 


80  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

reservations,  is  spread  before  them;  more  than  three  months  have 
been  allowed  them  to  locate  their  claims  without  interruption; 
and  to  select  the  most  valuable  lots  and  mill  seats,  from  three 
millions  of  acres  of  the  best  land,  ever  offered  for  sale  by  the 
United  States. 

It  has  been  the  policy  of  governments,  however,  to  reward 
such  persons  as  from  principles  of  attachment  have  come  over  from 
the  enemy;  and  in  the  present  case,  they  were  native  citizens  of 
the  United  States.  Many  of  them  left  all  their  possessions  behind. 
Perhaps  those  who  scan  the  measures  of  government  with  can- 
dour, would  have  been  satisfied,  if  the  actual  sufferers  had  been 
put  in  possession  of  property  so  generously  bestowed.  But  a 
transfer  of  claims  was  inconsiderately  permitted;  certain  expence 
met  them  in  the  onset;  the  office  for  adjusting  their  claims,  was 
three  hundred  miles  from  the  place  where  the  principal  number 
resided;  many  difficulties  had  arisen  at  the  end  of  this  long  journey; 
and  as  cash  to  the  necessitous  is  tempting,  very  few  will  receive 
one  fifth  of  the  value  of  these  donations. 

No  blame  can  attach  to  those  who  have  purchased  in  a  fair 
market;  but  some  idea  of  this  speculation  may  be  formed  from 
one  statement.  The  right  of  a  private  for  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  was  bought  for  one  hundred  and  seventeen  dollars 
and  fifty  cents,  and  was  sold  for  five  thousand  dollars.  The  choic- 
est lots  near  Fort  Harrison  have  been  estimated  at  fifteen  dollars 
an  acre. 

A  small  cotton  wood  tree  stands  opposite  to  the  window  where 
I  am  writing,  dark  excrescences  on  its  branches  like  those  which 
appear  on  this  species  in  the  western  parts  of  New- York.  It  is 
well  known  that  these  blemishes  are  produced  by  the  irritation  of 
insects; — first  by  a  puncture  when  the  egg  is  deposited,  and  after- 
wards by  the  growth  and  motion  of  the  worm.  To  procure  this 
food,  the  parroquets  have  been  busily  employed,  at  times,  through 
the  day;  but  though  they  have  become  so  familiar;  and  though 
they  excel  all  the  birds  of  this  country  in  beauty  of  plumage,— 
their  scream  is  so  discordant,  and  their  fierceness  of  disposition  so 
apparent,  as  to  preclude  every  sensation  of  attachment. 

These  birds  build  their  nests  in  hollow  trees.  The  strength  of 
their  necks  is  remarkable;  and  we  are  assured  that  when  both 
wings  and  feet  are  tied  they  can  climb  trees  by  striking  their 
bills  into  the  bark. 

Birds  are  not  so  numerous  in  the  Ohio  country  as  in  New- 
York  and  Pennsylvania.  The  prairie  hen,  probably  a  species  of 


DAVID  THOMAS.  81 

the  genus  Tetrao,  is  a  native.  The  tetrao  tympanus,  or  drumming 
pheasant  of  Pennsylvania,  called  the  partridge  in  New- York  is 
also  an  inhabitant.  The  partridge  of  Pennsylvania  called  the 
quail  in  New- York  is  very  numerous.  But  this  confusion  of  names 
is  to  be  regretted;  and  in  both  states  the  application  is  improper; 
for  the  pheasant  of  Europe  belongs  to  the  same  genus  as  our  dung- 
hill fowls,  and  the  partridge  of  England  is  a  distinct  species  from 
all  those  of  that  name  in  our  country. 

The  large  black  bird  (Gracula  purpurea),  frequents  the  principal 
streams;  and  small  brownish  black-birds,  probably  of  the  same 
species  as  those  that  infest  the  marshes  of  the  Seneca  river,  are 
very  numerous,  and  equally  predatory. 

The  meadow  lark,  the  kildee,  and  the  land  plover  inhabit  the 
prairies.  The  last  has  been  called  the  rain  bird,  from  its  notes 
being  more  frequently  heard  in  the  calm  that  precedes  changes  of 
the  atmosphere.  But  the  mildness  of  the  air  may  inspire  its  song, 
and  the  stillness  allow  it  to  hover  more  easily  over  the  fields 
where  it  loves  to  wander.  From  elevations  in  the  air  where  it  is 
scarcely  visible,  its  note  is  heard  to  a  great  distance  like  a  long 
shrill  sigh.  Who  hears  it  in  youth  will  hardly  outlive  the  recollec- 
tion. 

We  had  been  taught  to  expect  that  turkies*  were  very  numer- 
ous, but  we  have  been  disappointed,  for  certainly  we  have  not  seen 
half  a  dozen  full  grown  in  all  the  Western  Country. 

The  turkey  buzzard,  or  carrion  vulture,  is  gregarious,  but  we 
have  seen  no  large  flocks.  It  is  less  shy  than  any  other  undo- 
mesticated  bird  of  its  size.  When  searching  for  food,  it  moves  in 
circles  so  elevated  as  almost  to  elude  the  sight.  There  is  reason  to 
believe  that  the  effluvia  of  dead  bodies,  by  being  specifically 
lighter  than  common  air,  is  arranged  at  a  certain  height  in  the 
atmosphere.  On  reaching  this  stratum  they  more  readily  discover 
whence  the  stream  ascends. 

The  red  headed  woodpecker  is  seen,  but  not  in  such  destructive 
numbers  as  at  Cayuga. 

The  little  yellow  bird  sometimes  moves  in  flocks,  and  complaint 
is  made  of  its  devouring  flax-seed. 

To  the  foregoing  list  of  the  birds  of  this  country,  may  be  added 
the  crane,  the  crow,  the  blue-jay,  and  the  red  winged  starling. 

We  learn  that  mountain  rice  is  cultivated  by  one  person,  and 
it  has  succeeded  well.  The  product  varies  from  thirty  to  sixty 

*At  that  time,  it  appears  that  these  fowls  were  hatching  or  secreted  with  their 
young.     In  the  ADDITIONAL  NOTICES,  a  different  account  will  be  given. 

T— 6 


82  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

bushels  to  the  acre  in  the  rough ;  but  it  may  diminish  to  one  third 
of  these  quantities  by  hulling.  This  is  the  best  sort;  but  it  requires 
more  attention  and  culture  than  the  water  rice,  as  the  hoe  must  be 
introduced  to  destroy  the  weeds,  which  amongst  the  latter,  the 
process  of  flooding  completely  effects.  The  latter  kind  would  also 
grow  in  this  climate,  if  the  land  could  be  regularly  laid  under  water. 

Our  friend  has  a  handsome  little  nursery  of  thrifty  apple- 
trees  which  he  raised  from  suckers*  procured  in  his  neighbours' 
orchards.  He  intends  to  transplant  them  when  he  locates  a  farm. 
In  new  countries,  where  it  is  difficult  to  obtain  young  trees,  the 
emigrant  would  do  well  to  adopt  this  method. 

7  mo.  9. — M.  H.  having  agreed  to  attend  us  in  exploring  the 
lands  up  the  river,  and  as  maps  are  necessary,  and  the  creeks 
unusually  swelled  by  the  late  rains, — which  would  retard  if  not 
prevent  our  progress  in  that  direction, — this  morning,  he  and  I 
departed  for  Vincennes.  Our  course  was  south  by  west,  and  the 
distance  twenty  miles. 

This  road  being  back  from  the  river,  presented  some  new 
objects.  Having  passed  the  beautiful  wood  which  I  mentioned, 
including  an  extensive  sugar  camp,  the  trees  as  we  advanced 
appeared  of  less  and  less  magnitude,  till  our  path  led  through  oaks 
of  small  stature  into  the  prairie. 

As  the  surface  of  the  land  is  moderately  undulated,  these 
openings  are  interrupted  at  small  distances  by  plains,  which  differ 
from  the  prairies  in  being  dry  ground,  and  in  supporting  flat-to_pped 
oaks  thirty  or  forty  feet  high,  between  which  are  interspersed 
oak  stools.  The  growth  of  former  years  having  perished  by  the 
annual  burning,  the  young  shoots  of  this  season  have  sprung  up  in 
abundance.  These  are  chiefly  the  white  oak,  the  swamp  white 
oak,  and  the  true  black  jack. 

To  the  annual  conflagrations  may  be  ascribed  in  part,  the 
scarcity  of  snakes  in  this  district;  but  the  deficiency  of  hills  and 
quarries  to  afford  them  shelter  in  winter,  must  remain  as  the 
principal  cause. 

Of  these  reptiles  are  enumerated  the  rattlesnake  and  the  viper. 
Some  garter  snakes  are  found;  and  I  learn  that  the  water  snake 

*Although  it  is  a  current  opinion  amongst  nursery  men,  that  suckers  produce 
suckers  in  abundance,  the  emigrant  may  dismiss  all  apprehensions  on  this  subject. 
I  have  a  considerable  number  of  trees,  budded  on  such  stocks,  several  of  which  now 
bear  apples;  and  from  none  of  them  have  I  perceived  a  sucker.  I  do  not  assert  that 
these  are  more  exempt  than  seedling  stocks,  and  nurseries  on  a  large  scale  could  not  be 
conveniently  supplied  in  this  manner;  but  no  farmer  should  be  discouraged  from  raising 
his  own  trees. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  83 

and  black  racer  will  complete  the  list.  The  copper  head,  so 
common  through  the  wooded  country  to  the  eastward,  is  said  to 
be  unknown. 

At  the  end  of  seven  miles  we  came  to  Marie's  Creek.  The 
channel  was  nearly  rilled  by  muddy  water,  and  with  difficulty 
we  forded.  It  is  a  lazy  stream  scarcely  two  rods  wide. 

During  the  late  war,  a  neighbouring  hunter  having  started  a 
deer,  near  the  banks  of  this  creek,  cautiously  approached  the  root 
of  an  old  tree,  and  was  earnestly  looking  through  a  thick  under- 
brush for  his  game,  when  he  descried  two  Indians  passing  in 
file  at  a  small  distance.  Instinctively  he  shrunk  back — raised  his 
rifle,  but  paused — it  was  a  perilous  moment.  He  knew  not  their 
numbers;  and  as  he  was  undiscovered,  he  determined  to  be  still. 
In  a  few  minutes  he  heard  the  report  of  a  gun;  and  my  friend 
pointed  down  the  stream  to  the  spot,  where  at  that  instant,  they 
killed  and  scalped  a  young  man  who  was  gathering  grapes.  A 
short  time  before,  in  full  health,  he  had  left  his  father's  dwelling. 

The  rage  and  anguish  of  the  parent  was  excessive.  We  soon 
passed  by  his  house;  and  the  most  melancholy  reflections  arose  on 
my  mind.  War,  at  best,  is  a  dismal  picture.  Famine,  slaughter 
and  rapine,  crowd  the  pages  of  its  history;  but  the  keen  anguish 
that  invades  the  domestic  circle  is  unnoticed.  To  his  country, 
a  soldier,  or  a  citizen  has  perished;  to  his  family,  a  father,  a  hus- 
band, a  son,  or  a  brother. 

South  of  the  creek,  oak,  not  very  thrifty,  constitutes  the  prin- 
cipal timber.  This  tract  extends  within  seven  or  eight  miles  of 
Vincennes;  and  with  the  more  open  lands  to  the  north,  forms 
a  border  to  the  Shakertown  prairie.  The  soil  is  but  moderately 
fertile.  The  inhabitants  are  few,  scattered,  and  in  some  places 
we  passed  on  for  miles  without  seeing  a  house. 

Below,  the  country  is  more  inviting.  Beech,  sugar  maple, 
honey  locust  and  some  black  walnut,  forms  a  tall  forest;  and  a 
luxuriant  growth  of  herbage  overspreads  the  ground.  This  wood- 
land extends  to  the  river, — separating  the  Vincennes  prairie  from 
that  of  Shakertown, — retains  a  great  degree  of  moisture,  like  the 
beech  and  maple  lands  to  the  eastward, — and  appears  well  adapted 
to  the  cultivation  of  grasses.  The  soil  is  a  strong  clayey  loam. 

Lands  partially  improved,  in  this  district,  rate  from  twelve  to 
fourteen  dollars  an  acre. 

In  Vincennes,  N.  EWING  and  J.  BADOLLET  of  the  Land-Office, 
for  whom  I  had  introductory  letters,  received  me  with  frank- 
ness. The  former  is  a  native  of  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania; 


84  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

and  the  latter  of  Geneva,  in  Europe.  The  friendship  of  their  old 
neighbour,  the  celebrated  A.  GALLATIN,  procured  them  these 
appointments  about  nine  years  ago ;  and  the  high  rank  which  they 
deservedly  hold  in  public  estimation,  proves  the  wisdom  of  his 
choice. 

In  the  evening,  having  acceded  to  the  kind  invitation  of  N.E. 
to  go  to  his  house,  which  is  four  miles  southeasterly  from  Vin- 
cennes,  we  took  the  opportunity  to  ride  to  the  top  of  the  second 
mound  before  noted,  and  which  is  near  the  side  of  the  road. 
The  prospect  was  extensive  and  delightful.  Excepting  a  ridge  of 
moderate  elevation  up  the  river,  where  the  woodland  extends  over 
into  the  Illinois  Territory,  there  is  nothing  within  the  range  of  the 
eye  that  merits  the  name  of  a  hill. 

This  pyramid  was  the  largest  I  had  ever  approached.  We 
estimated  the  diameter  at  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  prob- 
ably it  will  exceed  forty  in  height  on  the  west  side.  As  it  stands  on 
the  slope  of  the  hill,  the  acclivity  on  the  east  side  is  much  less; 
and  though  steep,  we  ascended  it  on  horseback. 

We  observe  the  same  singularity  of  construction  as  in  those  to 
the  eastward.  The  surface  is  sand,  which  the  adjoining  hills 
may  have  furnished;  but  the  interior  part  is  clay,  and  notwith- 
standing the  greatness  of  the  labour,  it  must  have  been  brought 
from  a  distance.  In  it,  human  bones  have  been  discovered.  We 
therefore  suppose  it  was  not  raised  in  one  age;  and  the  transporta- 
tion of  the  latter  material,  probably,  formed  a  part  of  the  funeral 
ceremonies1. 

At  the  distance  of  a  furlong  to  the  south,  a  mound  of  equal 
magnitude  appears  nearly  in  a  right  line  with  the  two  which  I 
have  noticed.  All  these  are  separated  from  the  prairie  by  a  swamp 
that  lies  along  the  base  of  the  hill. 

This  swamp  or  bog  resembles  nothing  that  we  have  seen  in  the 
western  country.  A  pole  may  be  thrust  perpendicularly  down- 
wards to  the  depth  of  twenty  feet;  and  as  it  extends  to  the  borders 
of  the  White  River,  twenty  mile?  below,  our  intelligent  friend  con- 
jectures that  it  was  an  ancient  channel  of  the  Wabash. 

In  adopting  this  opinion,  however,  I  refer  to  a  period  before 
the  formation  of  the  sandy  prairies.  The  vast  quantities  of  sand 
and  gravel  that  overwhelmed  the  river  plains,  appears  to  have 
filled  this  channel  north-easterly  from  Vincennes,  for  a  consider- 
able distance  downwards;  and  to  have  turned  the  river  to  the 
southwest;  but  I  consider  this  deluge  to  have  been  long  anterior  to 
the  mounds. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  85 

Our  road  now  led  through  a  country  variegated  by  low  hills, 
chiefly  shaded  with  oak.  The  soil  near  the  prairies  is  sandy; 
but  as  we  receded  we  found  it  inclining  to  a  clayey  loam;  and 
beech,  &c.  appears  through  the  woods. 

The  mansion  of  our  friend  is  of  brick,  handsomely  situated  on  a 
ridge  which  commands  a  pleasant  prospect  of  his  farm.  His 
daily  practice  is  to  ride  to  Vincennes,  and  in  the  evening  to  return. 
This  exercise  doubtless  contributes  to  health;  and  the  bustle  of 
a  town  contrasted  with  this  charming  but  sequestered  spot, 
must  increase  the  relish  for  domestic  enjoyment. 

7  mo.  10. — THE  antiquities  of  this  country  interest  every  intelli- 
gent mind;  and  curiosity  seems  more  awake  because  history  has 
shed  no  light  on  the,  subject.  N.  E.  informed  me,  that  nine  miles 
above  its  mouth,  the  Wabash  is  wearing  away  a  bank  which  con- 
tains great  quantities  of  the  bones  of  different  quadrupeds,  and 
hence  it  is  termed  the  Bone  Bank.  At  the  same  place,  under  a 
covering  of  clay  and  sand  twelve  feet  deep,  vessels  of  various  kinds 
are  found  stratified  with  ashes.  Some  of  these  are  large  and 
shaped  like  a  Dutch  stew-pot;  others  are  spherical  bottles  with 
long  necks.  Like  the  fragments  found  in  other  parts  of  the  western 
country,  these  contain  pounded  muscle  shells.  The  cement,  how- 
ever, has  become  very  feeble;  the  parts  crumble  at  the  touch,  and 
in  every  flood  the  river  effects  some  removal. 

Though  the  ordinance  of  Congress,  under  which  all  the  gov- 
ernments north  west  of  the  Ohio  were  organized,  expressly  declares 
that  no  persons,  except  in  punishment  for  crimes,  shall  be  held  in 
bondage;  and  though  that  ordinance  has  remained  unrepealed; 
yet  slaves  were  considered  to  be  so  convenient,  that  the  terri- 
torial legislature  authorized  their  introduction.  For  this  pur- 
pose, indentures  were  employed.  The  negro  was  directed  to  sign 
an  article,  binding  himself  to  serve  his  master  for  some  specified 
term  of  years;  refusal  could  avail  nothing,  and  compliance  was 
termed  voluntary  servitude.  I  learn,  however,  from  various  sources, 
that  it  is  now  generally  understood  that  these  articles  must 
be  declared  nugatory  whenever  a  legal  investigation  shall  be  made. 

In  this  affair  originated  a  powerful  opposition;  and  for  several 
years  past,  the  territory  has  been  divided  into  two  active  parties. 
Those  who  were  opposed  to  this  innovation,  however,  soon  became 
the  majority;  and  the  members  of  the  late  Convention,  acting 
agreeably  to  the  directions  of  Congress,  put  the  question  at  rest 
forever,  by  excluding  the  principle  of  slavery  from  the  state 
constitution. 


86  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

After  breakfast  we  returned  to  Vincennes.  The  hills  that 
border  the  prairie  on  the  east,  are  chiefly  composed  of  sand;  and 
the  inequalities  of  the  surface,  which  are  very  considerable,  show 
the  violent  agitation  of  the  deluge  that  whirled  it  hither. 

Having  procured  the  necessary  maps  by  the  very  liberal 
accommodation  of  the  Register,  we  continued  our  journey. 

We  had  been  invited  by  B.  PARKE,  a  distinguished  citizen, 
to  visit  him  on  our  return.  This  we  now  performed  with  much 
satisfaction.  He  resided  in  a  spacious  brick  building,  erected  by 
the  late  Governor  Harrison,  situate  at  the  north  end  of  the  town, 
and  which  adds  much  to  the  appearance  of  the  place.  The  ground 
in  front  is  level;  but  the  slope  towards  the  river  is  easy,  and  admits 
of  delightful  gardens.  At  this  time  the  "tomatoes  were  full  grown 
and  abundant;  and  the  black  morella,  which  loaded  the  branches 
furnished  an  agreeable  repast;  but  the  Chickasaw  plumbs,  with 
one  solitary  exception,  had  all  ripened  and  disappeared.  This 
fruit  is  delicious,  and  the  tree  a  great  bearer,  but  suckers  appear 
to  spring  up  around  it  as  far  as  the  roots  extend. 

Here  I  discovered  that  the  worm  which  destroys  the  inner  bark 
round  the  root  of  the  peach  tree,  is  an  active  inhabitant;  and  that 
the  Curculio  destroys  much  of  the  fruit. 

In  conformity  to  an  engagement  made  last  evening,  we 
travelled  seven  miles  further  to  J.  M.  M'Donald's,  a  friendly, 
hospitable  man,  where  we  abode  for  the  night.  He  has  been  much 
in  the  service  of  the  United  States  as  a  surveyor;  and  was  employed 
to  run  the  West  Bounds  of  this  territory;  north  from  Vincennes, 
when  it  was  first  discovered  that  the  Wabash  River,  for  more  than 
forty  miles,  meanders  on  or  west  of  that  meridian. 

In  his  field  he  pointed  out  to  me  a  grass,  of  which  I  had  heard 
much,  known  through  all  the  western  country  by  the  name  of 
nimble  Will.  It  is  much  esteemed  for  pasture,  especially  in  Ken- 
tucky. I  cannot  give  very  strong  testimony,  however,  in  its 
favour,  as  I  have  always  seen  it  thin  on  the  ground.  In  the  west- 
ern parts  of  New- York,  where  it  also  grows  indigenously,  it  scarcely 
withstands  the  encroachment  of  other  grasses. 

We  have  been  led  to  believe  from  seeing  so  many  persons  who 
had  marched  to  Tippecanoe,  that  the  whole  military  strength  of 
this  district  was  engaged  in  that  expedition.  Amongst  these  our 
hospitable  friend  may  be  numbered. 

7  mo.  11. — WE  departed  about  sunrise,  and  soon  passed  into 
the  same  road  that  we  traversed  two  days  ago. 

Marie's  Creek,  which  has  been  dignified  with  the  appellation  of 


DAVID  THOMAS.  87 

a  river  on  some  maps,  was  now  reduced  to  a  light  mill-stream; 
and  I  think  it  would  be  easy  to  jump  across  it  with  a  pole.  Not 
far  below  the  surface,  sand  rock  in  horizontal  strata  appeared  in 
the  south  bank. 

About  9  o'clock  we  arrived,  and  found  my  old  companions  in 
anxious  waiting.  In  our  absence  they  had  explored  the  country 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Shakertown,  and  had  returned  yester- 
day, expecting  to  meet  us. 

At  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  accompanied  by  our  kind  friend 
M.  H.  we  commenced  our  journey  for  Fort  Harrison.  Our  road 
led  northwesterly  through  prairies  principally  composed  of  clay, 
though  very  fertile,  and  interspersed  with  fine  farms.  It  is  remark- 
able that  though  some  parts  of  these  tracts  are  wet,  and  now,  even 
covered  with  water;  yet  the  bog  or  quagmire  is  unknown,  and  there 
is  no  danger  of  being  swamped. 

Near  Busseron  Creek  we  passed  through  a  fine  tract  of  wood- 
land, as  level  and  as  fertile  as  the  prairie. 

At  the  end  of  seven  miles,  we  crossed  that  creek  at  a  mill 
below  which,  the  water  had  laid  bare  a  slaty  rock  in  hoiizontal 
strata. 

We  then  passed  through  barrens  (so  called),  which  produced 
corn  of  uncommon  luxuriance.  The  prospect  soon  became  more 
interesting.  To  the  left  spread  an  undulated  plain  of  dark  fertile 
sand,  thinly  timbered  by  oaks  without  underbrush;  and  on  our 
right  the  scene  was  variegated  with  lawns  and  groves.  The  low 
ground  is  wet  prairie,  or  that  kind  which  is  occasioned  by  the  col- 
lection and  subsequent  evaporation  of  water.  Every  little  knoll 
of  only  two  feet  in  height  supports  a  grove.  These  are  termed 
islands  by  the  inhabitants,  and  not  improperly,  as  floods  must 
frequently  surround  them. 

At  the  distance  of  three  miles  we  came  out  into  the  Gill  Prairie, 
where  the  extent  and  beauty  of  the  scene,  and  the  luxuriance 
of  the  corn  excited  our  admiration,  but  the  driftwood  was  deposited 
in  lines,  above  the  level  of  no  inconsiderable  part  of  this  fine 
tract.  Indeed  we  have  seen  none  except  the  Vincennes  prairie 
that  is  free  from  bayous.  These  in  times  of  flood,  convert  the  parts 
adjoining  the  river  literally  into  islands;  and  nearly  all  communi- 
cation with  the  back  settlements  must  be  intercepted.  In  places 
the  channel  is  excavated,  forming  when  the  current  subsides, 
shallow  ponds  or  marshes.  These,  however,  are  not  miry,  and 
the  cattle  pass  over  without  inconvenience.  This  bayou,  ten  miles 
in  length,  receives  its  waters  from  Turtle  Creek. 


88  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

We  were  now  within  the  limits  of  the  New  Purchase,  and  con- 
sequently none  of  the  few  inhabitants  who  have  fixed  here  can 
have  titles  to  the  land  except  through  the  intervention  of  Canadian 
claimants.  A  cabin  and  a  few  acres  of  corn,  constitute  the  prin- 
cipal improvements. 

At  Turtle  Creek,  the  woodland  commences.  Immediately  we 
observed  the  irregularities  of  the  surface  to  be  greatly  increased; 
and  a  clayey  loam,  which  the  river  alluvions  have  never  reached, 
producing  beech  and  sugar  maple,  indicated  a  total  change  of 
soil. 

Of  the  trees  in  this  country  we  make  the  general  remark,  that 
the  trunk,  and  more  especially  the  branches,  are  larger  than  those 
of  the  same  kinds  to  the  eastward,  and  stand  from  each  other  at 
greater  distances. 

From  a  bluff  two  miles  above  Turtle  Creek,  we  had  a  most 
charming  prospect  of  La  Motte  Prairie,  west  of  the  river  in  the 
Illinois  Territory;  and  the  beams  of  the  sun,  nearly  setting, 
imparted  a  yellow  tinge  to  the  distant  woods  that  encircle  this 
plain.  The  bluff  is  upward?  of  one  hundred  feet  high,  and  the  river 
flows  at  its  base.  The  ground  declines  to  the  east;  the  regularity 
of  the  descent  is  remarkably  beautiful;  and  the  herbage,  like  that 
throughout  all  this  tract  of  woodland,  is  very  luxuriant. 

One  man  and  his  family  have  fixed  their  residence  on  this 
interesting  spot,  and  have  cleared  a  small  farm.  Possession  has 
been  deemed  of  so  much  consequence  in  many  parts  of  the  United 
States,  and  such  indulgence  has  been  granted  to  those  persons  who 
have  formed  the  frontier  in  time  of  war,  that  even  now  these  set- 
tlers anticipate  important  advantages.  Among  neighbours,  who 
fear  to  do  each  other  wrong,  such  hopes  might  be  realized;  but 
amongst  speculators,  who  will  be  found  here  on  the  day  of  sale, 
from  all  parts  of  the  Union,  we  can  hardly  believe  that  their  little 
claims  will  obtain  much  respect. 

Our  route  still  led  through  woodlands.  We  had  five  miles 
further  to  travel,  and  the  approach  of  evening  induced  us  to  mend 
our  pace;  but  it  became  dark  before  we  arrived  at  Tarman's, 
where  we  lodged.  20  miles  this  afternoon. 

7  mo.  12. — THIS  person,  with  his  family,  resided  here  before 
the  late  war.  A  small  prairie  of  200  or  300  acres,  known  by  his 
name,  and  bordered  by  thick  woods,  except  towards  the  river, 
chiefly  contains  the  improvements.  Last  spring  they  removed 
from  the  prairie  to  a  new  cabin  in  the  woodlands,  near  the  road. 
The  upper  story  of  this  building  projects  for  the  purpose  of  defence; 


DAVID  THOMAS.  89 

and  may  serve  as  a  memorial,  of  the  apprehensions  which  over- 
spread the  white  settlers,  before  the  late  treaty  with  the  Indians 
at  Fort  Harrison. 

A  short  time  before  the  approach  of  those  persons  who  came 
with  HOPKINS,  this  family,  fearful  of  the  Indians,  abandoned  their 
dwelling  and  retired  down  the  river.  In  the  hurry  of  removal 
many  articles  were  necessarily  left  behind.  When  ihe  band  arrived 
they  wasted  everything  that  could  be  found;  and  the  sons  told 
me.  that  their  hogs  and  neat  cattle  were  wantonly  shot  down, 
and  left  untouched  where  they  fell. 

Near  the  edge  of  this  prairie,  I  observed  some  small  mounds. 
These  are  the  first  I  have  noticed  above  the  Vincennes  Prairie. 

I  have  mentioned  the  wood  house  of  the  eastern  states,  and  the 
spring  house  of  the  middle  states,  but  omitted  to  notice  in  its 
proper  place  the  smoke  house  of  Virginia.  At  least  by  some,  the 
erroneous  opinion  has  been  adopted,  that  pork  cannot  be  pre- 
served in  pickle  during  the  summer  heat  of  this  climate.  Whether 
the  prevalence  of  this  notion  has  caused  the  southern  farmer  to 
convert  his  pork  into  bacon;  or  whether  custom  has  rendered  the 
flavour  most  agreeable  I  leave  undetermined;  but  certain  it  is 
that  the  smoke  house  is  considered  an  appendage  of  great  value. 
Our  host  faithfully  practises  this  branch  of  rural  economy;  and 
in  an  open  log  building,  we  saw  nearly  one  thousand  weight  of 
ham,  flitch,  and  shoulder,  which  was  undergoing  this  process. 
We  presumed  that  the  animals  had  been  recently  killed. 

Several  springs  appear  in  the  north  side  of  the  bank  on  which 
this  dwelling  is  situate.  The  subsoil  is  principally  sand  or  sand 
stone;  and  throughout  this  western  country,  as  in  other  places, 
we  remark  that  wherever  water  comes  filtered  through  this  sub- 
stance, the  quality  is  excellent. 

After  breakfast  we  continued  our  journey.  Several  families 
have  fixed  their  abode  one  or  two  miles  further  north;  and  so  much 
confidence  has  been  felt  in  the  right  of  possession  that  a  saw  mill 
has  been  erected  in  the  present  season  on  a  small  creek.  We 
should  be  gratified  hereafter  to  learn,  that  such  industry  and 
enterprise  have  been  respected. 

In  this  neighbourhood  we  passed  a  coal  mine,  which  has  been 
recently  opened,  though  the  work  has  been  but  partially  per- 
formed. The  stratum  is  laid  bare  to  the  depth  of  four  or  five 
feet.  As  the  excavation  is  made  in  the  channel  of  a  small  brook, 
the  torrent,  by  removing  the  loose  earth,  doubtless  led  to  this 
discovery.  All  the  strata  of  this  fossil  that  we  have  seen  in  the 


90  EAELY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

western  country  has  appeared  near  the  surface;  and  it  would  not 
surprise  me,  if  it  should  be  brought  forth  in  a  thousand  places 
where  the  shovel  and  the  pickaxe  have  never  yet  been  employed. 

Last  evening  between  Turtle  Creek  and  the  Bluff,  we  travelled 
some  distance  on  the  first  flats  of  the  River;  and  in  our  progress 
through  twelve  miles  of  woods  this  morning,  the  same  thing 
occurred.  These  flats,  like  the  uplands  adjoining  on  the  east, 
are  well  sheltered  with  thrifty  timber.  Overshadowed  by  woods 
for  such  a  length  of  way,  we  almost  forgot  our  proximity  to  natural 
meadows;  and  so  different  are  these  two  kinds  of  land,  that  a 
stranger  would  as  soon  expect  to  find  a  prairie  in  the  forests  of 
New- York. 

In  these  woods  our  intelligent  friend  pointed  out  to  us  the 
ground,  on  which  the  escort  and  drivers  of  some  provision  waggons, 
intended  for  the  relief  of  Fort  Harrison,  were  attacked  during  the 
late  war.  The  Indians  lay  in  ambush  on  both  sides  of  a  bank  over 
which  the  road  led,  and  when  the  waggons  gained  that  position, 
commenced  their  fire.  Only  two  of  the  poor  fellows  escaped.  The 
foremost  driver  cut  loose  one  of  his  horses,  and  after  a  precip- 
itate flight  of  more  than  twenty  miles,  reached  Fort  Harrison. 
The  other  was  a  private  who  concealed  himself  under  the  side  of  a 
log.  From  this  insecure  retreat,  continually  expecting  death, 
and  sometimes  almost  trodden  over,  he  beheld  with  horror  the 
butchery  of  his  comrades.  After  all  was  still,  the  Indians  dis- 
charged their  guns  into  the  casks  of  liquor,  and  cut  the  waggons 
to  pieces. 

Prairies  (I  am  told)  are  seldom  found  opposite  on  both  sides 
of  the  river.  The  Wabash  has  closely  traced  the  west  side  of  this 
forest;  and  directly  over  in  the  Illinois  Territory,  the  valley 
is  occupied  by  Union  and  Walnut  Creek  Prairies.  From  these 
facts  it  appears,  that  the  same  irregularity,  prevails  in  regard  to 
hills  and  table  land,  that  I  have  noticed  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
Ohio  country. 

The  pecan  is  only  found  on  the  first  flats,  and  appears  to  be 
confined  within  the  limits  of  common  floods.  It  is  a  stately  tree. 
We  saw  some  three  feet  in  diameter,  and  nearly  one  hundred  feet  in 
height.  The  leaf  consists  of  fifteen  leaflets:  fourteen  in  pairs,  and 
one  terminal. 

I  have  often  been  surprised  at  the  confused  ideas  that  bota- 
nists have  exhibited,  when  treating  of  this  vegetable,  and  of  the 
species  with  which  it  is  allied.  Though  the  outer  shells  of  the 
walnuts  have  no  determinate  opening  like  the  hickories;  and  though 


DAVID  THOMAS.  91 

the  inner  shells  are  perforated  while  that  of  the  latter  is  smooth — 
yet  one  genus  has  been  made  to  include  them;  and  so  much  has  that 
ESSENTIAL  CHARACTER,  and  even  specific  differences  been  over- 
looked, that  the  butternut,  the  shell  bark,  and  the  pecan,  have  been 
arranged  as  only  varieties  of  the  same  species.  We  believe  no 
two  genera  of  the  same  NATURAL  ASSEMBLAGE*  are  more  distinct. 

The  timber  of  the  first  flats  comprises,  in  addition  to  the  pecan, 
the  bitternut,  the  river  nut,  and  the  shell  bark  hickory.  The  but- 
ternut, and,  in  some  places,  the  black  walnut.  At  the  river,  the 
water  maple;  where  it  is  swampy,  the  red  maple;  and  in  the  drier 
parts,  the  ash-leaved,  and  the  sugar  maple.  To  these  should  be 
added,  the  button  wood  or  sycamore,  the  ash,  the  elm,  and  the 
cotton  wood.  The  last  tree  sometimes  attains  a  diameter  of  four 
feet,  and  preserves  its  thickness  of  trunk  to  a  remarkable  height. 

The  soil  of  these  flats  is  remarkably  fertile;  but  mud,  left  on 
the  herbage  by  the  freshets,  causes  much  of  it  to  putrify;  and  the 
exhalations  are  very  offensive. 

A  channel,  which  receives  the  surplus  water  of  many  thousand 
square  miles,  must  be  very  unequally  supplied ;  and  during  heavy 
rains  it  is  evident,  that 

.     .     .     innumerable   streams 
Tumultuous  roar;  and  far  above  its  banks 
The  river  lift     .     .     . 

Accordingly,  near  the  northern  border  of  this  great  tract  of  wood- 
land, the  flood  marks  on  the  trees  were  higher  than  we  could  reach 
on  horseback. 

These  marks  consist  of  annular  spaces  on  the  bark  from  which 
the  moss  has  been  removed.  We  conjecture  this  happens  during 
floods  in  the  latter  part  of  winter.  The  ice,  forming  in  the  night, 
encloses  the  moss;  and  as  the  thaw  commences  at  the  tree,  when 
the  water  subsides,  the  moss  will  be  torn  off  by  the  ice  in  its  fall. 

On  entering  the  Prairie  we  found  it  a  low  strip  of  land ;  and  like 
the  south  end  of  the  Shakertown  Prairie,  entirely  within  the  reach 
of  common  floods.  Whenever  the  river  rises  over  its  banks  the 
road  must  therefore  be  impassable.  This  tract,  five  miles  long, 
and  averaging  about  one  mile  in  width,  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
the  narrows,  where  the  woodlands  from  the  river  and  from  the  hills, 

*Since  writing  the  above  I  have  observed  with  much  satisfaction,  in  a  late  period- 
ical work  that  C.  S.  RAFINESQUE,  an  accurate  and  distinguished  naturalist,  has 
placed  the  hickories  in  a  new  genus,  Hiccorius.  Of  the  old  genus  Juglans  eleven 
species  were  enumerated,  and  a  majority  of  these  were  hickories. 


92  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

approach  within  ten  rods.  A  heavy  current  sweeps  through  in 
times  of  flood. 

This  Prairie  is  considered  to  be  of  small  value  from  its  being 
so  subject  to  inundation;  and  no  inhabitants  are  found  near  its 
borders.  Its  name  is  derived  from  Prairie  Creek,  a  light  stream 
which  flows  through  it  from  the  eastward.  A  small  mound  appears 
on  its  north  bank. 

Our  friend  in  leading  us  towards  the  woods  near  the  north 
east  corner,  directed  our  attention  to  the  dry  ground  on  which 
we  were  riding.  In  a  few  minutes  we  came  to  a  fine  brook  which 
has  its  sources  in  the  hills;  but  which  on  reaching  the  plain  is 
immediately  lost  in  the  sand  over  which  we  had  passed.  We 
found  several  cases  of  this  kind,  but  observed  one  serious  incon- 
venience:— as  these  currents  have  never  formed  a  channel  to  the 
river,  the  water  in  heavy  rains,  spreads  over  the  prairie,  and  in 
some  places  coats  the  herbage  with  mud. 

These  hills  are  about  one  hundred  feet  higher  than  the  prairies. 

Leaving  that  stream  we  travelled  to  the  north  along  the  hill 
side,  through  the  woods,  and  soon  came  out  into  Honey  Creek 
Prairie.  We  were  delighted  with  the  prospect.  As  we  traversed 
this  extensive  tract,  we  contrasted  the  granite  hills  in  the  east 
with  this  soil  whiteh  requires  no  manure;  and  nothing  but  moder- 
ate culture  to  produce  an  overwhelming  plenty*;  we  thought  of 
the  thousands  who  had  toiled  and  pined  on  barrens,  while  this 
land  for  ages  had  been  a  range  for  wild  beasts;  and  indulged,  in 
fancy,  a  view  of  farm  houses  on  the  numerous  and  elegant  sites 
that  have  emerged  from  this  plain. 

We  explored  this  Prairie  about  noon,  in  clear  sunshine.  The 
weather  was  warm,  but  not  stiltry.  We  found  the  most  incon- 
venience from  the  green-headed  horse  fly,  which  were  numerous 
and  active.  Excepting  this  instance,  we  have  suffered  very  little 
from  such  insects;  and  indeed  much  less  than  we  expected.  It  is 
an  erroneous  notion  that  warm  climates  produce  them  in  greatest 
abundance; — the  sultry  summers  of  northern  regions  have  a  full 
share;  and  perhaps  in  no  country  are  they  more  distressing  than  in 
Lapland. 

It  having  become  necessary  to  procure  some  refreshment,  our 
experienced  guide  led  us  into  the  woodland  on  the  east;  and  after 

*We  are  assured  that  when  corn  (maize)  is  very  excellent,  the  whole  crop  is  rarely 
harvested.  After  securing  what  is  deemed  sufficient,  the  live  stock  is  turned  into  the 
field  in  the  winter  to  consume  the  remainder.  We  do  not  believe,  however,  that  this 
practice  will  be  of  long  continuance. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  93 

ascending  the  hill,  directed  our  course  to  a  new  cabin,  which  was 
occupied  by  two  families.  On  entering  we  were  furnished  with 
seats,  but  the  beds  were  all  spread  on  the  floor.  In  one  corner  a 
woman  lay  in  a  burning  fever.  She  complained  of  much  pain  in 
her  side,  and  many  involuntary  moans  escaped  while  her  husband 
supported  her  head.  They  were  strangers, — young, — probably 
indigent;  and  no  physician  could  be  found  nearer  than  Fort 
Harrison. 

It  was  a  case  of  real  distress,  and  the  circumstances  were 
discouraging.  However,  we  left  medicine  with  directions. 

This  family  were  lately  from  the  state  of  Ohio.  They  had 
arrived  in  a  boat,  fixed  their  residence  on  the  prairie,  and  drank 
the  warm  water  from  a  brook.  Apprehensive  of  disease,  they  had 
only  left  the  borders  of  the  river  within  a  few  days  past,  and  were 
received  into  this  cabin  as  tenants. 

[We  were  much  gratified  to  learn  in  three  or  four  days  that 
she  was  likely  to  recover.  Unquestionably  many  of  these  emi- 
grants suffer  from  want  of  suitable  food,  and  of  medicine,  and 
from  the  want  of  comfortable  lodgings,  and  of  proper  attendance.] 

The  summit  of  this  hill  appears  to  be  an  extensive  tract 
of  table  land.  The  soil  is  fertile,  and  produces  thrifty  timber, 
but  contains  little  sand  except  in  knolls.  This  remark  will  apply 
to  the  country  in  general;  and  as  it  perfectly  accords  with  what  I 
have  observed  in  the  western  parts  of  New- York;  and  as  some  rocks 
of  granite  are  also  scattered  here,  doubtless  this  land  has  been 
overwhelmed  by  the  same  deluge.  I  allude  not  to  inundations 
produced  by  extraordinary  rains,  but  to  a  preternatural  flood 
which  swept  over  the 'highest  hills,  and  which,  to  my  view,  was 
occasioned  by  exterior  attraction. 

In  descending  from  the  hill,  the  prospect  through  the  trees 
had  the  brightness  of  a  great  lake  in  calm  weather.  The  low  angle 
at  which  the  sky  appears  across  the  prairie,  was  the  cause  of  this 
optical  deception. 

Through  this  prairie,  on  the  sloping  sides  of  the  ridgy  knolls,  we 
frequently  observed  irregular  hollows,  several  rods  in  diameter, 
and  a  few  feet  'in  depth,  which  would  hold  water,  had  the  soil 
been  clayey  and  compact.  The  origin  ought  not  to  be  ascribed  to  a 
depression  of  the  surface,  but  to  the  unequal  deposition  of  sand 
and  gravel  in  the  time  of  that  extraordinary  flood.  The  sides  are 
neither  so  steep,  nor  the  depth  so  great  but  the  plough  may  readily 
pass  through,  and  we  feel  confident  that  wheat  would  flourish  in 
the  bottom.  The  Ceanothus  americanus,  or  tea  plant,  which  only 


94  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

grows  on  dry  banks  to  the  eastward,  and  which  also  appears  on  the 
driest  parts  of  this  land,  is  found  in  that  situation;  so  loose  and  so 
little  retentive  of  water,  is  the  soil.  Indeed  we  are  assured  that 
within  an  hour  or  two  after  heavy  rains,  the  ploughman  may 
resume  his  labour  without  inconvenience. 

This  species  of  Ceanothus  is  completely  naturalized  to  the 
prairies.  Burnt  down  to  the  ground  every  season  it  has  relin- 
quished the  habit  of  a  shrub;  and  conforming  to  the  vicisitudes 
of  its  situation,  the  same  stalks  that  grew  this  spring  to  the  height 
of  six  or  eight  inches,  are  now  loaded  with  flowers. 

We  now  directed  our  course  to  the  westward;  and  at  the  dis- 
tance of  two  or  three  miles,  passed  into  the  woods  that  shelter 
Honey  creek.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  wherever  the  streams 
overflow  and  deposit  a  clayey  sediment,  we  find  thrifty  timber; 
and  indeed  the  dry  land  adjoining, — which  is  the  same  as  the 
prairie  soil — commonly  retains  more  or  less  oak.  This  fact  I 
consider  as  an  additional  proof  that  these  wastes  are  occasioned  by 
fire.  As  it  can  only  approach  from  one  side,  the  chance  for  the 
flame  to  be  driven  through  the  trees,  is  considerably  diminished. 

As  a  continuation  of  the  first  remark,  it  may  be  noticed,  that 
bayous  rarely  (if  ever)  deposit  any  sediment;  and  in  the  lower 
parts  of  the  prairies  that  are  overflowed  by  the  river,  we  observed 
the  naked  sand. 

Honey  creek  is  a  considerable  mill  stream.  The  prairie  to 
which  it  gives  a  name  is  computed  to  be  eight  miles  long,  and 
from  one  to  five  wide;  but  I  suspect  the  latter  estimate  is  large. 
It  is  a  beautiful  tract  of  land.  By  the  creek  it  is  separated  on  the 
north  from  the  Terre  Haute*  (i.e.  High  land)  Prairie;  and  on  the 
west  or  north  west,  from  the  Little  Prairie. 

On  crossing  this  creek  we  passed  ten  or  fifteen  rods  (as  we  had 
done  on  the  opposite  shore)  through  a  thrifty  wood  of  beech,  sugar 
maple,  white  and  blue  oak,  black  walnut,  honey  locust,  and  nettle 
tree;  and  then  came  out  into  the  Little  Prairie.  This  contains 
about  eight  hundred  acres.  On  it,  our  friend  had  made  some 
improvements;  and  this  was  our  chief  motive  in  departing  from 
the  direct  road  to  Fort  Harrison.  It  is  separated  from  the  Terre 
Haute  Prairie  by  woodland  which  extends  from  the  river  to 
Honey  creek,  joining  it  some  distance  above  where  we  forded. 
The  timber  on  the  drier  parts  of  this  strip  is  chiefly  black  oak. 
The  ravages  of  fire  amongst  it  has  been  very  considerable;  and  in 
this  part,  the  prairie,  was  visibly  gaining  on  the  woods. 

*Vulgarly  pronounced  Tar  Holt. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  95 

We  now  passed  along  through  the  western  part  of  the  Terre 
Haute  Prairie;  and  in  the  calm  evening  of  one  of  the  finest  days  in 
summer,  the  shadows  of  the  oaks  lengthening  over  the  plain. 
Novelty  still  lent  its  charms;  and  even  after  we  arrived  at  our 
lodgings,  four  miles  south  of  the  fort,  we  were  delighted  with  the 
prospect  of  lawns  and  of  distant  woods. 

This  establishment,  is  not  a  tavern,  but  travellers  are  occas- 
sionally  entertained.  The  house  was  erected  in  the  present 
season.  A  few  acres  of  corn  are  enclosed;  but  the  proprietor  of 
those  improvements  has  no  claim  to  the  soil  but  the  right  of  pos- 
session. This  site  which  is  about  fifty  feet  above  the  prairie  to 
the  eastward,  commands  one  of  the  most  extensive  prospects 
that  we  have  seen  in  the  country. 

Notwithstanding  its  elevation,  and  its  proximity  to  the  woods 
that  shelter  it  on  the  west,  we  observed  the  same  black  sand  that 
appeared  in  other  parts  of  these  singular  tracts;  and  where  a 
small  excavation  has  been  made  for  a  cellar,  I  perceived  no  change 
at  a  less  depth  than  two  feet.  In  some  of  the  lower  parts  of  the 
prairies,  I  learn  that  it  is  even  found  at  the  depth  of  five  feet. 

7  mo.  13. — EARLY  this  morning  we  resumed  our  journey.  A 
few  families  live  near  our  landlord,  but  two  miles  to  the  north 
there  is  a  very  considerable  encampment.  Many  of  these  emi- 
grants are  from  the  state  of  New-York.  It  is  said  that  fevers  are 
prevalent  amongst  them;  and  last  night  a  man  -from  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Genesee  river,  died.  We  stopt  a  few  minutes  to  visit 
N.  Kirk,  la  tely  from  the  state  of  Ohio,  with  whom  our  companion 
D.  S.  was  acquainted.  His  wife  has  an  intermittent  fever. 

These  notices  may  seem  minute,  but  the  apology  will  be  obvious 
and  ample.  The  report  of  a  traveller  which  may  influence  the 
emigrant,  ought  to  embrace  "the  truth  and  the  whole  truth;" 
and  the  profit  and  the  peril,  the  bane  and  the  antidote  should  be 
set  in  order  before  him. 

I  observed  the  Columbo  growing  near  the  borders  of  these 
woods,  with  stalks  about  six  feet  in  height. 

Beyond  this  encampment  to  the  north,  we  passed  a  field  con- 
taining two  hundred  acres  of  corn,  which  made  a  very  fine  appear- 
ance, and  is  the  principal  crop.  The  enclosing  of  this  tract  with 
oak  rails,  was  the  labour  of  a  company;  and  each  man  occupies 
land  in  proportion  to  the  length  of  fence  he  erected.  The  whole 
has  been  lately  covered  by  a  Canadian  claim;  and  though  in  strict- 
ness these  occupants  might  be  considered  as  intruders,  their 


96  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

case  has  excited  sympathy  and  called  forth  some  expressions  of 
dissatisfaction  with  the  claimant. 

The  cabins  along  the  road,  from  these  improvements  to  the 
Fort,  are  numerous;  the  immediate  vicinity  of  this  station  has 
assumed  the  aspect  of  a  considerable  village,  and  once  more  we 
were  surrounded  by  "the  busy  hum  of  men." 

Fort  Harrison  stands  within  a  few  rods  of  the  river,  on  a  bank 
which,  though  not  steep,  is  beyond  the  reach  of  floods.  It  is 
garrisoned  by  a  detachment  from  the  army  of  the  United  States. 
It  was  built  in  the  autumn  of  1811,  by  the  late  governor  Harrison 
and  the  troops  under  his  command,  who  halted  for  that  purpose 
on  their  march  to  Tippecanoe. 

The  pernicious  effects  of  spirituous  liquors  were  sadly  exemp- 
lified a  few  weeks  ago  near  this  place.  After  the  treaty,  whiskey 
was  liberally  dealt  out  to  the  Indians;  and  in  the  frenzy  of  intoxi- 
cation, one  killed  his  fellow.  To  terminate  this  feud,  and  to  prevent 
retaliation,  it  became  necessary  by  their  custom,  that  the  murderer 
should  be  dispatched  by  his  own  brother,  and  the  horrid  task  was 
accordingly  performed. 

About  10  o'clock  we  resumed  our  traverse  of  the  country. 
Directing  our  course  to  the  northeast  through  the  prairies,  we 
crossed  over  high  broad  ridges'which  might  be  laid  into  beauti- 
ful farms.  The  fertility  of  these  lands  has  been  noticed.  Such 
elevations  we  would  expect  to  be  exempt  from  mud  in  all  seasons, 
nor  do  we  believe  that  any  unwholesome  exhalation  would 
approach. 

At  the  distance  of  one  mile  and  a  half,  we  came  to  Otter 
Creek  which  is  a  fine  mill  stream.  One  mile  above  the  ford  is  an 
excellent  mill  seat,  which  has  just  been  located  by  R.  Markle, 
and  which  he  intended  soon  to  occupy. 

This  prairie  is  thirteen  miles  long.  The  surface  declines  to 
the  eastward,  and  becomes  so  low  near  the  creek,  that  the  water 
flows  thro'  in  times  of  flood,  forming  a  bayou  which  communi- 
cates with  Honey  creek.  From  the  ford,  the  course  of  Otter  creek 
is  nearly  north-west,  and  just  before  its  junction  with  the  river, 
the  Terre  Haute  Prairie  terminates. 

Agreeably  to  previous  observation,  Otter  creek  is  sheltered  by 
woodland,  and  the  trees  appear  on  each  side  as  far  as  the  clayey 
sediment  extends. 

Spring  Creek  Prairie  lies  to  the  north  of  this  stream.  It  is 
about  four  miles  from  north  to  south,  and  nearly  two  from  east 
to  west.  We  have  seen  no  tract  of  this  extent  equally  delightful. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  97 

One  glance  takes  in  the  whole  opening;  and  the  eye,  undazzled  by 
distant  prospects  that  fade  into  ether,  rests  with  pleasure  on 
woods  distinctly  visible. 

The  woods  on  the  northern  boundary,  chiefly  consist  of  beech, 
sugar  maple  and  oak,  spread  over  uplands,  which  terminate  the 
prairies  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  Along  the  south  border 
of  this  tract,  Spring  Creek,  a  light  mill  stream,  meanders.  Its 
sources  are  among  the  hills,  and  being  fed  by  durable  fountains, 
it  suffers  less  diminution  in  summer,  than  many  of  the  larger 
streams  to  the  south. 

We  believe  that  this  prairie  will  be  salubrious.  From  the 
exhalations  of  the  river,  it  is  sheltered  by  high  lands  on  the 
wrest,  which  are  crowned  with  oak.  No  streams  sink  into  its  sands. 
These,  with  the  soakings  of  the  country  to  the  eastward,  are  inter- 
cepted by  Lost  Run,  which  flows  southerly  towards  Otter  Creek; 
and  it  appears  that  no  bayou  in  times  of  flood,  divides  it. 

The  latter  circumstance  merits  consideration.  The  surface  of 
this  prairie,  like  that  of  Terre  Haute,  slopes  from  the  sides  towards 
the  middle,  and  exhibits  a  depression  throughout  its  whole  length. 
This  is  in  the  same  line  with  the  bayou  from  Otter  Creek;  and  if 
Spring  Creek,  instead  of  its  short  course,  formed  a  channel  for 
the  surplus  water  of  a  large  district,  it  would  doubtless  pass 
through.  Indeed  I  am  not  convinced  that  this  does  not  happen, 
in  extraordinary  floods. 

On  the  north  side  of  this  stream,  we  traversed  the  open  woods 
along  the  base  of  the  hill.  This,  we  were  told,  was  the  route  of 
the  army  to  Tippecanoe;  and  we  saw  timothy  of  fine  growth,  prob- 
ably from  seed  which  was  scattered  at  that  time. 

On  the  banks  of  a  small  brook  of  pure  water,  which  flows  from 
the  hill,  we  took  our  noontide  repast.  We  were  then  six  or  eight 
miles  beyond  the  limits  of  the  civilized  world;  and  no  white  set- 
tlers of  any  description,  are  known  above  Fort  Harrison. 

Gun  flints,  similar  to  those  which  we  noticed  near  Indian 
Kentucky,  are  found  in  the  channels  of  the  brook.  I  have  seen 
none  which  give  more  fire  with  steel. 

In  moist  places,  the  common  wild  nettle  (Urtica  divaricata) 
occupies  much  of  the  soil.  Its  sting,  which  was  doubtless  designed 
for  a  defence,  is  severe  to  horses;  and  one  of  our  hacknies  was  so 
irritable  as  to  lie  down  under  the  rider. 

On  the  west  side  of  Spring  Creek,  where  it  turns  north,  we 
found  an  opening  of  many  acres.  Beyond  it,  towards  the  river, 
the  land  is  a  sandy  plain,  above  the  reach  of  floods,  and  thinly 

T— 7 


98  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

covered  with  oak  of  moderate  size.  We  consider  this  an  eligible 
site  for  a  village.  The  Wabash  flows  at  its  base;  the  descent  to 
the  water  is  short  and  easy;  and  the  communication  with  the 
country,  will  probably  be  at  all  times  uninterrupted.* 

Near  this  plain,  the  strawberry  plant  grows  in  abundance; 
but  the  season  for  gathering  the  fruit,  in  this  climate,  had  long 
since  past. 

Some  idea  of  the  fertility  of  the  woodlands  that  surround  these 
prairies,  may  be  obtained  from  the  growth  of  the  Ambrosia 
trifida,  which  we  frequently  observed.  In  no  other  region  have  I 
seen  it,  except  on  the  first  flats  of  rivers. 

This  day's  journey  was  productive  of  much  satisfaction.  We 
had  proposed  to  encamp;  but  unprovided  with  punk,\  and  unsuc- 
cessful in  all  our  attempts  to  kindle  fire,  we  were  compelled  to 
return  to  our  former  lodgings,  more  than  ten  miles  from  the  dis- 
trict in  which  we  wished  to  spend  to-morrow.  No  traveller  in 
new  countries  should  be  destitute  of  a  tinder-box. 

7  mo.  14. — FROM  our  lodgings,  the  prospect  of  this  great 
prairie  is  delightful.  The  night  was  cool,  and  the  morning  drip- 
ping with  dew.  The  sun  at  rising,  was  obscured  by  a  dense  cloud 
of  fog  which  settled  near  the  border  of  the  prairie;  and  on  enquiry, 
we  learned  that  a  brookj  flowed  from  the  hills  at  that  place, 
and  was  lost  in  the  sands. 

We  now  proceeded  eastward  across  the  Prairie.  Knolls  or 
ridges  of  several  acres,  lying  in  a  north  and  south  direction,  appear 
through  these  wastes;  and  evince  a  commotion  to  which  we 
cannot  conceive  any  river  flood  to  be  subject.  In  the  bayou 
towards  the  middle  of  this  tract,  our  horses  waded  through  much 
standing  water. 

Near  the  eastern  border  of  the  Prairie  we  saw  a  field  of  corn, 
the  seed  of  which  had  been  dropt  in  every  third  or  fourth  furrow, 
and  the  sod  consequently  turned  down  upon  it.  We  consider  it  a 
strong  proof  of  the  lightness  and  warmth  of  the  soil.  From  seed 
corn  treated  in  such  manner  in  our  cool  and  moist  climate,  no 
return  could  be  expected.  One  precaution,  however,  is  necessary. 
The  inverted  soil  must  be  rolled  or  trodden  closely  down;  for  if 

*The  following  remark  appeared  in  a  Vincennes  newspaper,  in  1817.  "It  should 
not  be  forgotten  by  those  who  know,  nor  should  it  remain  untold  to  those  who  do  not 
know,  that  there  are  few  places  on  the  Wabash,  where  high  land  approaches  it  so  as  to 
afford  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  easy  access  to  the  river." 

fPunk  is  a  fungus,  which  extends  its  sponge  like  fibres  through  the  decaying  wood. 
The  maples  and  hickories  are  the  only  trees  in  which  we  have  seen  it  perfect. 

JLost  Creek,  for  which  see  the  map. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  99 

the  plumule  unfolds  within  the  cavity,  it  will  be  unable  to  pierce 
the  soil,  and  must  perish. 

Crops,  in  the  first  season  that  the  prairies  are  ploughed,  exhibit 
but  little  of  that  luxuriance  of  vegetation,  which  in  succeeding 
years  is  so  remarkable.  This  is  imputed  to  the  hardness  of  the 
wild  grass  roots,  which  consist  chiefly  of  the  woody  fibre,  absorb 
even  when  buried  a  part  of  the  nutriment  contained  in  the  soil,  and 
yield  very  slowly  to  decay. 

Several  families  have  erected  huts  in  the  edge  of  the  wood- 
lands. The  inducement  has  been  the  convenience  of  timber  and 
fire  wood,  a  supply  of  water,  and  land  adjoining  ready  cleared. 
But  we  consider  the  situation  unhealthy.  The  brooks  that  descend 
from  the  hills,  having  no  channel  or  outlet  to  the  river,  spread, 
when  swelled  by  heavy  rains,  and  deposit  all  the  impurities  that 
were  whirled  along  by  the  torrent.  The  herbage  had  been  coated 
with  mud,  and  the  smell  at  this  time  was  very  offensive. 

Changing  our  course  to  the  north,  we  crossed  Otter  Creek  at 
the  old  ford,  and  bearing  to  the  east  side  of  Spring  Creek  Prairie, 
we  passed  through  groves  and  thickets  that  form  its  border  in  that 
direction.  This  tract  is  very  little  elevated  above  the  prairie, 
and  from  its  soil  and  productions,  belongs  to  the  class  of  barrens. 
We  saw  some  openings  of  several  acres,  moist,  and  which  might 
form  productive  meadows.  These  spaces  were  beautifully 
chequered  with  the  meadow  sweet,  a  species  of  Spirea  which 
is  herbaceous. 

At  the  distance  of  two  or  three  miles  from  Spring  Creek  Prai- 
rie, we  came  to  a  rectangular  opening  of  thirty  or  forty  acres 
which  greatly  resembled  an  old  field.  It  is  enclosed  by  black 
oaks  of  good  size.  The  surface  is  handsomely  level,  and  the  soil 
has  marks  of  fertility;  but  near  the  north  west  corner,  where  a 
tree  had  torn  up  the  subsoil,  I  found  a  whitish  sand,  with  scarcely 
any  traces  of  that  black  fertilizing  matter,  which  so  strongly 
marks  the  river  prairies. 

We  had  intended  to  visit  Raccoon  Creek,  the  mouth  of  which 
forms  one  point  in  the  north  bounds  of  the  New  Purchase,  being 
desirous  to  see  the  extensive  forests  of  black  walnut,  which  are 
on  the  upper  parts  of  that  stream;  but  there  was  a  prospect  of 
rain,  and  the  day  was  too  far  advanced.  It  was  therefore  deter- 
mined to  explore  the  lands  adjacent  to  Spring  Creek.  For  this 
purpose,  directing  our  course  westwardly  through  moist  prairies, 
which  are  separated  by  thin  groves  of  stunted  oak,  we  came  to 
Lost  Run.  At  this  time  I  judged  its  current  to  be  as  heavy  as 


100  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Spring  Creek;  but  its  channel  indicated  a  stream  of  inferior 
magnitude;  and  our  intelligent  friend  informed  us,  that  in  severe 
drowths  it  ceases  to  flow.  Its  banks  were  thickly  covered  with  pea- 
vine,  as  it  is  here  called;  but  I  think  it  nearer  allied  to  the  bean. 
The  aspect  of  this  plant  is  pleasing,  the  blossom  blue,  and  the 
vegetation  luxuriant. 

Near  the  north  east  corner  of  Spring  Creek  Prairie,  we  found 
a  grove  of  sugar  maple  on  land  that  declines  towards  the  Creek. 
Wherever  this*  tree  flourishes,  the  soil  is  favorable  to  the  produc- 
tion of  timothy;  and,  in  all  places  that  we  have  seen,  contains  no 
inconsiderable  portion  of  clay.  Here  a  farm  might  be  located 
that  would  embrace  sandy  prairie,  fine  meadows,  a  durable  stream, 
good  timber,  and  an  extensive  sugar  camp. 

In  the  woods  on  the  south  bank  of  Spring  Creek,  we  found  the 
remains  of  wigwams,  erected  by  the  Indians,  on  their  hunting 
expeditions.  Some  were  evidently  designed  as  winter  habitations. 
Of  these,  dry  leaves  interlaced  with  small  poles,  formed  the  walls; 
and  the  work  displayed  much  skill  and  neatness. 

We  have  seen  no  serpent  in  travelling  four  days,  except  a  small 
garter  snake,  which  was  coiled  on  a  leaf  two  feet  from  the  ground. 

In  traversing  such  delightful  regions,  the  mind  acquires  a 
degree  of  cheerfulness  that  rarely  attends  it  in  the  deep  gloom 
of  the  forest.  But  on  reverting  to  the  long  toils  and  privations 
that  beset  the  inhabitant  of  the  wilderness, — and  on  contrasting 
the  lightness  of  labour  to  possess  these  ancient  abodes — a  feeling 
more  intense  must  pervade  the  patriot.  The  dark  days  of  his 
country  are  past.  In  fancy,  must  he  view  the  current  of  popula- 
tion breaking  from  the  mountains,  full,  broad,  resistless;  and 
the  vast  and  long  deserted  plains  of  the  Mississippi,  fill  with 
life,  with  intellect,  and  with  elegance. 

END  OF  THE  DIARY. 

ADDITIONAL  NOTICES  OF  THE  WESTERN  COUNTRY. 

"THE  State  of  Indiana  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  a  parallel 
of  latitude,  ten  miles  north  of  the  southern  extremity  of  Lake 
Michigan;  on  the  south  by  the  Ohio  river;  on  the  east  by  a  merid- 
ian passing  through  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami;  and  on  the 
west  by  the  Vincennes  meridian,  until,  in  coming  south,  it  inter- 
sects the  Wabash,  and  then  by  that  river  to  its  confluence  with 
the  Ohio." 


DAVID  THOMAS.  101 

OF  the  first  settlement  made  at  Vincennes  by  the  French,  it 
is  difficult  to  find  two  accounts  that  agree.  The  old  French  records 
were  destroyed  by  fire;  and  all  that  has  descended  to  us  on  this 
subject,  appears  to  be  traditional.  Two  of  my  correspondents 
have  furnished  the  subjoined  paragraphs.  Both  accounts  are  too 
interesting  to  be  omitted;  and  the  difference  of  the  dates  shows 
the  uncertainty  of  the  reports  in  circulation  at  Vincennes,  though 
I  think  the  chronology  of  the  first  should  be  preferred. 

"About  the  year  1690  the  French  traders  first  visited  Vin- 
cennes, at  that  time  a  town  of  the  Piankeshaw  Indians,  called 
Cippecaughke.  Of  these  the  former  obtained  wives,  and  raised 
families. 

"In  the  year  1734  several  French  families  emigrated  from 
Canada  and  settled  at  this  place.  The  first  governor,  or  com- 
mandant, was  M.  St.  Vincent,  after  whom  the  town  is  now  called. 
In  the  year  1763  the  country  was  ceded  to  the  British  who  held  it 
till  the  year  1778,  when  the  fort  was  taken  by  the  American 
Gen.  George  Clark.  The  United  States  confirmed  the  French  in 
their  possessions;  and  a  donation  of  a  tract  of  country  round  the 
Post,  was  made  to  the  inhabitants." 


"About  the  year  1702,  a  party  of  French  from  Canada, 
descended  the  Wabash  river,  and  established  posts  in  several  places 
on  its  banks.  'The  party  was  commanded  by  Capt.  St.  Vin- 
cennes who  made  this  his  principal  place  of  deposit,  which  went 
for  a  long  time  by  no  other  name  than  the  Post. 

"The  French  of  this  place,  took  an  active  part  on  our  side  in 
the  war  that  separated  us  from  Great  Britian ;  but  not  until  they 
saw  an  adequate  force  to  assist  them  in  maintaining  their  stand- 
ing. In  Ramsay's  Life  of  Washington,  it  is  stated,  that  a  Spanish 
merchant  of  this  place,  gave  information  to  the  Americans,  of 
the  situation  and  strength  of  the  British  forces  that  were  sta- 
tioned here,  and  that  Col.  Clark  easily  obtained  possession  by  his 
directions.  This  Spanish  merchant,  as  he  is  there  called,  is  the 
venerable  Col.  Vigo,  who  resides  about  three  miles  south  east  of 
Vincennes.  He  is  an  ornament  to  the  country  and  a  warm  friend 
to  our  government." 

"In  the  Indian  wars  that  ended  in  1794,  the  people  of  this 
place,  though  not  active,  defended  themselves  against  the  Indians. 
The  latter,  however,  were  not  very  hostile  towards  the  French,  but 


102  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

killed  the  Anglo-Americans  without  mercy  wherever  they  could 
be  found. 

"In  our  last  war,  the  French  were  as  much  engaged  against  the 
Indians  as  any  other  inhabitants  of  the  frontier." 

Vincennes,  from  its  antiquity,  and  from  having  long  been  the 
capital  of  the  Western  Country,  merits  a  more  particular  descrip- 
tion than  could  be  included  in  the  Diary.  The  manuscripts  that 
now  lie  before  me  on  this  subject  are  voluminous;  part  of  which 
have  been  supplied  by  my  correspondents,  and  part  have  been  pro- 
cured from  other  sources. 

In  the  following  account  of  the  houses  in  this  town,  I  place 
the  fullest  confidence,  as  the  writer  was  so  obliging  as  to  examine 
every  part  of  it,  on  receiving  my  request  for  information. 

"There  are  eight  brick  houses,  ninety-three  frame  houses,  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty  French  houses — in  all,  two  hundred  and 
fifty-one.  These  are  exclusive  of  barns,  stables,  and  old  uninhab- 
ited houses,  which  I  think  are  equal  to  the  number  of  French 
houses,  and  make  the  whole  number  of  buildings  about  four  hun- 
dred. On  the  commons  east  of  the  town,  there  are  many  cellars 
and  old  chimney  places,  which  lead  me  to  suppose  that  Vin- 
cennes has  decreased  in  the  number  of  buildings." 

Some  idea  of  the  commerce,  manufactures,  and  importance  of 
this  place,  may  be  obtained  from  the  following  List,  which  is 
dated  1st  of  1  mo.  1818. 

18  Store  of  Merchandise,  (a)  1  Apothecary 

6  Taverns,  (6)  2  Printing  Offices,  (c) 

4  Groceries  7  Lawyers 

4  Black-Smiths'  Shops  7  Physicians 

2  Gun  Smiths'  shops  1  Limner 

3  Shoemakers'  shops  Chapel 

3  Saddlers'  shops  Academy,  (e) 

4  Tailors'  shops  Post  Office 

2  Cabinet  Makers  Bank,  (/) 

3  Hat  Factories  U.  S.  Land  Office 
1  Silver  Smith  Court  House    (g) 
1  Tin  Factory  Jail,  (A) 

1  Chair  Maker  2  Market  Houses,  and  a  Livery 

1  Tobacconist  Stable. 

1  Tannery 

(a)  This  note  will  comprise  all  my  remarks  on  the  com- 
merce of  the  Wabash. 

We  learned  at  Vincennes  that  the  merchants  only  accepted 
cash  in  pay  for  goods.  At  that  time,  the  surplus  productions  of 


DAVID  THOMAS.  103 

i 

the  soil  were  too  small  to  have  formed  any  regular  channel  to  dis- 
tant markets.  I  am  not  able  to  state  that  it  is  even  now  accomp- 
lished, but  all  kinds  of  produce  are  in  brisk  demand  for  cash.  The 
chief  part  of  these  purchases  are  doubtless  to  supply  the  immediate 
wants  of  the  new  settlers;  but  cash  has  been  offered  for  large 
quantities  of  grain  at  several  places  near  the  river. 

In  the  2d  month,  1818,  the  following  prices  were  current: 

$       Cents. 

Wheat,  per  bushel,  was 1 

Corn,  per  bushel,  was 50 

Potatoes,  per  bushel,  was 37|  to  50 

Pork,  per  cwt 4       50 

Beef,  per  cwt 3  to  4 

The  reader  will  recollect,  that  in  1816,  Corn  was  only  25 
cents,  and  a  considerable  advance  in  price,  has  therefore  taken 
place. 

'  In  the  prices  of  Dry  Goods,  there  is  not  much  difference  be- 
tween Vincennes  and  some  of  the  stores  in  Cayuga  county. 
In  respect  to  Groceries  on  the  Ohio  River,  as  well  as  on  the  Wabash, 
the  following  retail  prices  are  current: 

Coffee,  per  pound $         37| 

When  scarce 50 

New  Orleans  sugar,  per  pound 25 

Loaf  sugar,  per  pound  (on  the  Ohio  river) 37  £ 

Loaf  sugar,  per  pound  (at  Vincennes) 50 

Young  Hyson,  per  pound 1       50 

Brandy,  per  gallon 6 

Madeira  Wine,  per  gallon,  first  quality  (at  Vincennes) 8 

Common  Rum,  per  gallon 4 

Iron,  per  pound,  retail 16 

Ham,  per  pound,  retail ,  .  25 

Together  with  Salmon  and  Herring,  Shad  are  sometimes 
brought  from  New  Orleans,  and  retailed  at  25  cents  a  pound,  or 
62|  cents  each.  Mackerel  25  cents  a  piece.  White  fish  are 
brought  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Detroit. 

Since  the  Kanhawa  works  have  been  monopolized,  salt*  has 
greatly  advanced  in  price  along  the  Ohio.  When  we  were  at  Vin- 
cennes; it  was  said  that  a  large  quantity  could  be  bought  at  $5, 
but  $6  was  the  common  price.  Now  it  is  sold  at  $10  a  barrel,  and 

*Salt  at  Cincinnati,  in  12  mo.  1818,  was  selling  at  S3  per  bushel  of  50  Ibs. ;  and  at 
Vevay,  it  was  sold  for  $3.50.  Salt  is  sold  according  to  the  marks  made  on  the  barrels 
at  the  Kanhawa  works ;  and  on  account  of  the  leakage  of  the  brine,  a  loss  of  weight  is 
commonly  sustained. 


104  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

retailed  from  $2,  to  $2.50  a  bushel.  Salt  from  the  Salines  near 
Shawnee  Town,  at  $1.50  a  bushel.  Last  autumn  at  Fort  Harrison, 
it  was  sold  for  $15  a  barrel, — a  scarcity  having  been  occasioned 
by  unusual  floods  in  the  river 

Common  boards  sell  at  $1.50  per  100  feet.    Plank  at  $2. 

The  amount  of  merchandise  in  Vincennes  two  years  ago,  was 
estimated  at  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

The  merchants  of  that  town  procure  New  Orleans  goods  at 
Louisville. 

Beer  and  Porter  are  brought  from  the  breweries  in  Cincinnati. 

The  current  charge  for  transportation  of  goods  from  Pittsburgh*  to 

Vincennes  is per  cwt.  $1  00 

When  boats  are  scarce 1  25 

From  Vincennes  to  Pittsburgh 3  00 

From  Vincennes  to  New  Orleans 1  00 

To  Vincennes  from  New  Orleans 4  00 

(6)  An  innkeeper,  in  a  Vincennes  paper  of  "Feb.  6,  1818," 
offers  to  accommodate  his  customers  on  the  following  terms, 
viz.: 

"Breakfast $0  25 

Dinner 25 

Supper 25 

Lodging 12^ 

Horse  to  corn  and  hay  one  night 37? 

One  horse  feed 12^ 

This  agrees  well  with  our  experience  of  tavern  bills,  though  in 
some  places  the  charges  were  higher.  For  instance,  a  horse  at 
oats  and  hay  one  night  was  50  cents.  But  oats  are  scarce  in 
Indiana,  and  horses  are  fed  on  corn,  which  is  shovelled  out  to 
them  without  measure.  The  common  practice  is  to  charge  12| 
cents  for  a  feed;  that  is,  as  much  as  the  horse  can  consume,  be  it 
more  or  less. 

In  some  good  houses  in  the  state  of  Ohio,  the  fixed  price  was  75 
cents  for  every  thing  that  a  traveller  needs  for  one  night,  includ- 
ing his  horse.  But  in  that  state,  sometimes  we  meet  with  extor- 
tioners. 

(c)  The  following  Newspapers  were  published  in  Indiana  in 
2d  mo.  1818.  These  were  all  weekly. 

*The  transportation  from  Pittsburgh  to  Louisville  is  from  40  to  50  cents  per  cwt. 
when  the  amount  of  freight  is  considerable. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  105 

"The  Western  Sun Vineennes E.  Stout,  Editor 

Indiana  Centinel Vineennes S.  Dillworth. 

Indiana  Register Vevay J.  F.  Dufour. 

Indiana  Republican Madison J.  Lodge. 

Dearborn  Gazette Lawrenceburg B.  Brown. 

Indiana  Gazette Corydon A.  Brandon. 

Indiana  Herald Corydon.. R.  W.  Nelson. 

Plain  Dealer Brookville B.  F.  Morris. 

"The  above  offices,  except  the  Western  Sun,  have  all  been 
established  since  the  constitution  of  this  state  was  formed." 

N.B. — We  learn  that  the  Herald  is  discontinued  at  Corydon,  and  the  INDIANIAN, 
by  the  same  editor,  is  now  published  at  Jeffersonville. 

(d)  "This  was  built  by  the  French  Roman  Catholics,  and  in 
their  own  style.     It  is  sixty-six  feet  in  length,  about  twenty-two 
feet  wide,  and  nine  feet  from  the  ground  to  the  eaves.    It  has  a 
kind  of  steeple,  about  eight  feet  high,  with  a  small  bell." 

"The  Roman  Catholics,  at  present,  have  no  pastor,  and  no 
other  religious  society  is  established.  Itinerants  of  all  sorts 
preach  here  occasionally,  and  have  nearly  the  same  audience." 

(e)  "The  Academy  stands  east  of  the  town.    It  can  be  seen  a 
considerable  distance  in  every  direction,  and  makes  a  very  hand- 
some appearance.    It  was  erected  in  1807.    The  walls  are  brick; 
the  length  is  sixty-five  feet  the  width  forty-four  feet,  and  the 
height  three  stories.     It  was  designed  for  eighteen  rooms.     Ten 
thousand  dollars  have  been  expended,  and  it  stands  unfinished. 
The  fund  consists  of  land,  twenty-five  miles  south  of  this  place. 
The  Legislature  authorized  the  sale  of  a  part  of  this  tract,  and 
appointed  twenty-one  trustees  to  govern  the  Institution;"  but 
the  hopes  of  its  founders  have  not  been  realized.    "Only  a  common 
school  has  been  kept  in  it.    [March  24,  1817."] 

"Two  large  Schools  are  now  kept  in  this  town." 

"A  Library  was  established  in  1817,  which  now  consists  of 
more  than  700  volumes.  The  annual  contribution  is  two  dollars 
on  each  share." 

(/)  This  institution  wa?  chartered  on  the  10th  of  September, 
1814,  and  the  capital  has  been  increased  to  $1,500,000.  Nathaniel 
Ewing,  President;  Isaac  Blackford,  Cashier. 

A  power  is  vested  in  the  Directors  to  establish  branches,  so 
as  not  to  exceed  one  to  every  three  counties;  and  one  has  lately 
been  located  at  Brookville. 

On  the  "29th  of  November,  1817,  a  dividend  was  declared  by 


106  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  Directors  at  the  rate  of  twelve  per  cent,  per  annum,  for  the 
last  six  months  on  amount  of  stock  paid  in." 

The  charter  of  the  Farmers'  and  Mechanics '  Bank  of  Madison, 
also  bears  the  date  of  September  10,  1814.  The  capital  is  $500,000, 
John  Paul,  President,  and  John  Bering,  Cashier.  A  branch  has 
been  fixed  at  Lawrenceburgh,  Thomas  Porter,  Cashier. 

(0)  "This  is  a  brick  building,  forty  by  fifty  feet,  and  two 
stories  high.    It  is  very  handsome  and  commodious." 

(/&)     The  jail  is  built  of  logs. 

(1)  The  livery  stable  is  of  brick,  and  very  large. 

"Above  the  town,  though  within  sight,  they  are  building  a 
steam  grist  mill  and  saw  mill.  The  latter  is  so  far  completed,  as  to 
have  commenced  sawing  timber  for  itself  and  the  grist  mill, 
on  the  1st  of  January,  1818." 


Vincennes  is  situate  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  by  the 
road,  north-west  of  Louisville;  one  hundred  and  seventy  east  of 
St.  Louis  by  the  present  route;  three  hundred  miles  south  south- 
west of  Chicago;  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  northeast  of 
Kaskaskias. 

The  number  of  Inhabitants  at  Vincennes  has  been  estimated  at 
from  1,500  to  2,000. 

"Unimproved  lots  of  half  an  acre,  on  the  principal  streets, 
sell  from  five  hundred  to  one  thousand  dollars.  In  the  back 
streets,  the  prices  of  lots  are  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  dollars." 
7  mo.  1817. 

To  their  former  intercourse  with  the  Indians,  we  trace  a  sin- 
gular practice  in  this  town.  "As  soon  as  it  becomes  dark  every 
store  is  shut  up."  My  correspondent  adds,  that  "though  licen- 
tiousness and  dissipation  prevail,  they  also  rigidly  abstain  from 
opening  them  on  the  sabbath." 

Climate  is  always  an  interesting  subject  to  the  geographical 
enquirer;  and  all  my  correspondents,  aware  of  this  circumstance, 
have  been  minute  in  their  remarks.  "Accurate  observations  on 
the  thermometer  have  been  made  and  registered  by  Judge  PARKE," 
of  whom  my  obliging  friend  J.  B.  BENNETT,  procured  the  follow- 
ing statement.  It  will  be  perceived  that  an  account  of  one  month 
has  been  inadvertently  omitted. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  107 

EXTREMES  OF  FARENHEIT'S  THERMOMETER. 

Deg.  Deg. 

"December,  1816 17  lowest  61  highest 

January,  1817 11  below  zero  60 

February 5  below  zero  66 

March 18       *  70 

April 39  83 

June 52  88 

July • 58  95 

August 53|  95 

September 40  93 

October 23  80 

November 24  70 

December 2  66 

January,  1818 5  below  zero  59 

February  (to  the  12th) 16  below  zero  40" 

As  the  seasons  are  infinitely  irregular,  I  deem  it  best  to  give  the 
views  of  my  correspondents  separate  and  entire.  The  difference 
in  their  statements,  may  be  reconciled  by  considering  that  some 
have  drawn  conclusions  from  a  long  series  of  observations;  and 
that  others  have  been  guided  by  a  few  recent  facts.  A  consider- 
able difference  of  temperature  is  also  observable,  between  the 
black  sandy  prairies,  and  the  clayey  woodlands. 


"The  winds  in  summer  prevail  most  from  south  and  west;  in 
the  winter  from  the  north  and  east.*  East  winds  generally  pro- 
duce falling  weather.  West  winds  are  common  with  a  clear  sky. 

"The  Summer  is  generally  dry,  especially  in  the  month  of 
August.  At  such  times  vegetation  is  checked,  particularly  in 
sandy  soils,  and  the  streams  diminish  considerably.  Wells,  how- 
ever, seldom  or  never  fail  at  Vincennes. 

"In  winter,  the  atmosphere  is  generally  clear  and  cold.  The 
Snows  are  seldom  more  than  three  inches  deep,  and  are  commonly 
melted  by  sunshine.  Sleighing  sometimes  continues  for  two  or 
three  weeks. 

"Spring  is  attended  by  much  wet  and  cloudy  weather.  Vegeta- 
tion commences  about  the  20th  of  March.  The  peach  blossoms 

*I  do  not  consider  this  to  be  incompatible  with  the  statement  which  I  received  at 
Lick  Creek.  The  direction  of  winds  thro'  the  vallies  of  large  streams  and  over  elevated 
plains,  in  the  same  neighbourhood,  is  often  very  different;  and  this  circumstance  de- 
serves the  attention  of  all  those  who  study  METEOROLOGY.  The  following  {ex- 
tract from  Cook's  last  Voyage,  will  place  this  subject  in  a  clear  and  proper  point  of 
view : — 


108  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  last  of  that  month.  Grass  is  abundant  after  the  first  of  April, 
but  young  cattle  do  well  in  the  river  bottoms  during  the  whole 
winter.  The  strawberry  ripens  the  last  week  in  April.  Wheat 
harvest  commences  from  the  20th  to  the  30th  of  June.  Vernal 
frosts  have  been  noticed  as  late  as  the  first  of  May,  and  the  earliest 
autumnal  frosts  about  the  first  of  November.  To  this,  however, 
there  are  some  exceptions.  July  18,  1817."* 


"The  depth  of  our  snows  for  the  last  ten  years,  has  not  exceeded 
six  inches.  The  thickness  of  the  ice,  in  the  Wabash,  is  sometimes 
ten  or  twelve  inches.  Ploughing  may  be  commenced  by  the  tenth 
of  March,  and  carried  on  with  very  little  subsequent  interruption 
from  frost  or  snow.  Strawberries  ripen  about  the  15th  of  May. 
White  frosts  are  sometimes  seen  in  the  early  part  of  April,  and  have 
been  known  on  the  23d  of  October.  March  30,  1817." 

"Winter  generally  sets  in  about  the  first  of  January,  and 
breaks  up  about  the  first  of  March .  Last  winter  the  thickness  of 
the  ice  in  the  Wabash,  was  eight  inches;  and  this  winter  [1818] 
about  the  same.  The  snow  at  Princeton  has  been  four  inches  deep; 
at  Vincennes  eight  inches  deep  for  five  weeks,  and  at  Fort  Harrison 
twelve  inches  deep." 

"Wheat  harvest  is  generally  about  the  last  of  June  or  first  of 
July.  Strawberries  ripen  about  the  middle  of  May.  In  backward 
seasons,  common  fruit  trees  are  in  full  bloom  about  the  middle  of 
April,  but  often  earlier.  Vernal  frosts  are  all  over  by  the  first  of 
May,  tho'  last  spring  was  an  exception.  Autumnal  frosts  at  Vin- 
cennes commonly  begin  about  the  first  of  November.  Last  fall  I 
saw  beans,  tobacco,  and  other  tender  vegetables,  unhurt  by 
frosts  on  the  4th  of  November;  but  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Harri- 
son, frosts  appear  in  September.  The  snows  at  this  place  are  very 
light.  Eight  inches  has  been  the  deepest  which  has  fallen  in  many 
years.  Last  winter  there  was  little;  but  we  had  sleet,  which  made 
good  sleighing  for  four  or  five  days. 

"I  have  seen  more  serene  weather,  during  this  winter,  than  in 
ten  winters  in  your  country." 

*"Before  we  had  got  up  one  anchor  [in  Awatska  Bay]  so  violent  a  gale  sprung  up 
from  the  northeast,  that  we  thought  proper  to  moor  again,  supposing  from  the  position 
of  the  entrance  of  the  bay,  that  the  current  of  wind  would  in  all  probability  set  up 
the  channel.  The  pinnace  was  dispatched  to  examine  the  passage,  and  returned  with 
intelligence,  that  the  wind  blew  violently  from  the  southeast,  with  a  great  swell  setting 
in  to  the  bay." 


DAVID  THOMAS.  109 

"On  the  7th  of  November  I  left  Corydon,  and  arrived  on  the 
13th.  On  our  way,  the  snow  fell  about  three  inches  deep.  The 
weather  from  that  time  till  the  20th,  was  cold,  when  it  became 
mild,  and  continued  so  till  the  10th  of  January.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  18th,  the  mercury  stood  eleven  degrees  below  zero; 
the  Wabash  River  closed,  and  has  remained  so  ever  since.  [10th 
February,  1817.] 

"The  snow  has  not  at  any  time  fallen  more  than  three  inches, 
and  but  three  times  in  all.  There  is  a  peculiarity  in  this  climate, 
and  the  absence  of  turbulent  winds  is  remarkable.  The  old  set- 
tlers agree,  that  there  has  been  less  snow  than  usual;  but  that 
the  cold  has  continued  longer  than  at  almost  any  time  within  their 
recollection.  Yet  there  has  not  been  five  days  that  a  northern 
man  would  be  uncomfortable  at  wTork  with  his  coat  off. 

•''The  farmer  may  be  well  employed  the  whole  autumn  and 
winter.  Prairie  lands,  in  particular,  may  be  broken  up  with  the 
plough  from  the  first  of  March  until  the  first  of  November,  and 
most  of  his  laborious  business  may  be  performed  in  temperate 
seasons. 

"I  am  told  that  a  great  portion  of  the  year  is  warmer  than  in 
the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia,  but  the  nights  in  summer  are  much 
cooler.  The  mercury  is  seldom  above  94  degrees,  although  it  has 
been  at  98.  Wild  greens  are  sometimes  procured  the  first  week  in 
March.  Peas  with  common  attention  are  fit  for  use  by  the  15th 
of  May,  but  with  care  may  be  produced  much  earlier." — W.P.B. 


I  learned,  while  in  that  country,  that  the  snow  in  eight  years 
had  not  at  any  time  exceeded  five  inches  in  depth.  In  the  remark- 
able snow  of  3  mo.  31,  1807,  it  was  about  eleven  inches;  but  in 
Scipio  it  was  two  feet. 

Except  when  walking  at  noon  day,  we  were  seldom  disagree- 
ably warm,  although  we  wore  boots,  with  coat,  vest  and  pantaloons 
of  fulled  cloth ;  neither  did  we  find  one  night  in  which  a  blanket  was 
uncomfortable,  unless  in  apartments  heated  by  the  afternoon  sun. 

These  observations  include  a  period  of  ten  days  near  the 
AVabash  river;  but  we  were  told  that  on  the  prairies  it  was  some- 
times very  hot;*  and  indeed  this  has  been  sufficiently  indicated 
by  the  thermometer. 

*M.  Birkbeck,  however,  says  "the  heat  of  this  climate  is  not  so  oppressive  as  I 
expected.  I  have  been  using  strong  exercise  through  three  of  the  hottest  days  that 
have  been  experienced  in  four  years.  On  one  of  these  days,  I  walked  with  my  gun  in 
the  Prairie,  and  traveled  on  horseback  the  other  two,  without  great  inconvenience. 
The  only  sultry  night  I  have  experienced  proved  the  prelude  to  a  thunder  storm". 


110  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Near  Salem,  on  the  high  table  land  at  the  sources  of  Blue  River, 
I  was  assured,  that  in  the  winter  of  1815-16,  the  sleighing  con- 
tinued for  six  weeks,  though  in  part  of  that  time  the  depth  of  the 
snow  did  not  exceed  one  and  a  half  inches.  In  Cayuga  county, 
steady  cold  for  such  a  period  would  be  very  remarkable:  but  the 
south  winds,  which  often  occur  within  the  vicinity  of  the  lakes, 
dissolve  snows  of  common  depth  in  a  few  hours.  It  appears  that 
Indiana  is  exempt  from  these  sweeping  gales,  and  that  the  snows 
are  melted  by  sunshine. 


As  a  test  to  these  remarks,  I  give  the  following  extracts  from 
Dr.  Drake's  excellent  "Picture  of  Cincinnati."  This  town  it 
should  be  recollected,  is  situate  in  a  deep  reverberating  valley  of 
the  Ohio;  that  part  of  the  waters  of  this  river  arrive  from  the 
south,  while  those  of  the  Wabash  come  from  the  regions  of  steady 
cold  in  winter;  and  though  Vincennes  is  one  third  of  a  degree 
further  south,  probably  the  temperature  is  not  higher  than  at 
Cincinnati. 

The  dates  of  his  CALENDAR  of  FLORA  "are  the  mean  terms  of 
several  years  observations."  From  this  list  I  can  give  only  a 
few  items,  but  the  whole  of  his  remarks  deserve  attention. 

March  5.  Commons  becoming  green. 

April   8.  Peach  tree  in  full  flower,  j  j 

April  18.  Lilac  tree  in  full  flower.  - 

April  20.  Apple  tree  in  full  flower. 

April  24.  Dogwood  tree  in  full  flower. 

May   9.  Flowering  locust  in  full  bloom. 

June   4.  Cherries  beginning  to  ripen. 

June    4.  Raspberries  beginning  to  ripen. 

From  1806  to  1813  inclusive,  the  lowest  extreme  of  Farenheit 
was  eleven  degrees  below  O,  and  the  highest  ninety-eight  degrees. 

"The  greatest  degree  of  cold  ever  observed  at  this  place  was 
on  the  8th  of  January,  1797;  when,  according  to  Governor  Sar- 
gent, the  mercury  fell  to  eighteen  degrees  below  zero." 

"The  quantity  of  snow  which  falls  at  Cincinnati  is  inconsid- 
erable. The  deepest  that  has  occurred  was  perhaps  ten  inches; 
but  four  is  about  the  ordinary  depth,  and  many  are  not  more  than 


DAVID  THOMAS.  Ill 

two  or  three.  The  ground  seldom  remains  covered  longer  than  two 
or  three  days." 

"The  latest  veneral  [vernal]  frosts  are  generally  at  the  close  of 
the  first  week  in  May. 

"In  general,  the  last  of  September  is  the  earliest  period  at 
which  white  frost  is  perceptible  in  the  valley  of  the  Ohio." 


The  Ohio  Countries  have  been  considered  much  warmer,  in 
the  same  parallels,  than  the  Atlantic  states."  This  opinion,  Dr. 
Drake  has  controverted  with  much  ability;  and  his  independence 
on  this  occasion,  entitles  him  to  the  respect  of  every  friend  to 
natural  science.  He  admits  a  difference  of  temperature,  but  deems 
this  to  consist  more  in  the  distribution  than  in  the  absolute  quan- 
tity of  heat. 

I  am  inclined  to  believe,  however,  that  this  difference  of  dis- 
tribution is  in  favour  of  the  Western  Country.  Observations  made 
near  Schuylkill  and  in  Cincinnati,  at  sunrise  and  at  2  P.M.  though 
averaging  the  same,  will  give  very  unequal  views  of  those  climates 
In  the  south-eastern  part  of  Pennsylvania,  the  approach  of  even- 
ing is  often  attended  by  an  uncomfortable  heat  which  is  frequently 
protracted  until  midnight,  while  on  the  western  side  of  the 
mountains  a  refreshing  coolness  prevails.  Here  then,  are  several 
hours,  of  which  we  have  no  account,  and  which  would,  in  summer, 
considerably  affect  the  thermometrical  register.  If  vegetation  is 
equally  advanced  at  Cincinnati  under  a  lower  temperature,  the 
inference  is  clear  that  spring  is  milder  than  on  the  western  feast- 
ern]  side  of  the  mountains. 

In  addition  to  our  own  observations  on  the  coolness  at  even- 
ing, I  select  the  following  notices: 

"The  dew,  in  the  woody  vallies  of  this  country,  is  so  copious 
in  the  summer  and  early  autumn,  as  to  be  felt  before  sunset.  In 
the  night  it  sprinkles  from  the  trees  like  drops  of  rain;  but  in 
more  elevated  and  open  situations,  its  quantity  is  much  less." 
DRAKE. 

"Melting,  oppressive,  sultry  nights  are  unknown  here.  A 
cool  breeze  always  renders  the  night  refreshing."  BIRKBECK'S 
Notes  at  Cincinnati. 

"The  nights  are  more  comfortable  than  they  are  even  in  Vir- 
ginia," CRAMER,  on  the  Climate  of  Mobile. 


112  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

The  water  of  the  Wabash  forms  a  good  lather  with  soap.  At 
Pittsburgh,  for  washing,  the  river  water  was  good,  but  it  becomes 
harder  in  its  descent.  At  Cincinnati  an  increase  of  lime  was  evi- 
dent; and  near  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash,  the  water  of  the  Ohio 
was  hard. 

The  reader  may  observe  that  limestone  is  scarce  above  Pitts- 
burgh, but  in  parts  of  Ohio,  Kentucky,  and  Indiana  the  quantity 
is  immense.  It  appears,  that  in  this  stone  there  is  always  more  or 
less  gypsum. 

The  Wabash  has  a  gentle  current,  except  at  the  Rapids,  twenty- 
three  miles  below  Vincennes.  This  obstruction,  however,  is 
not  very  difficult,  as  flat  bottomed  scows  eleven  feet  wide,  have 
readily  ascended.  "In  dry  seasons,  it  is  necessary  to  lighten 
boats." 

"The  Rapids  are  occasioned  by  flat  rocks,  which  extend  across 
the  river  and  might  easily  be  removed." 

"Steam*  boats  may  navigate  this  river  from  four  to  six  months 
in  the  year." 

The  distance  from  Vincennes  to  the  mouth,  has  been  variously 
represented.  It  was  formerly  estimated  at  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  and  in  some  instances  the  computation  has  been  reduced 
to  one  hundred.  It  appears  to  be  about  one  hundred  and  twenty. 
Boats  frequently  go  up  in  six  days,  but  ten  days  are  more  com- 
monly required. 

The  south  wind  which  prevails  in  spring,  and  which  greatly 
facilitates  the  ascent  of  boats,  often  becomes  a  head  wind  in 
consequence  of  the  winding  channel  of  the  river. 

"The  Wabash  is  beatable  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 
Perogues  have  been  taken  out  of-  this  river  into  the  Miami  of  the 
Lake.  In  low  water  the  portage  is  nine  miles.  This  communica- 
tion is  not  so  much  used  now  as  formerly." 

Neither  the  Ohio  nor  the  Wabash  can  be  ascended  in  times  of 
full  flood  by  common  boats.  The  advantage  which  has  been 
taken  of  the  bayous  on  the  latter  river,  has  been  noticed. 

My  friend,  D.  STEER,  observed  that  the  navigation  of  W'hite 
River  must  be  difficult  on  account  of  its  crookedness,  as  a  boat, 
without  great  exertions  and  continual  care,  will  cross  the  cur- 
rent and  run  a-ground.  The  Wabash  is  also  remarkable  for  its 
serpentine  course,  and  from  Vincennes  to  Fort  Harrison,  which  is 

*"It  is  expected  that  a  steam  boat  will  be  in  complete  operation  on  the  Wabash, 
next  spring  or  summer."     Letter  of  6  mo.  16,  1818. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  113 

only  reckoned  seventy  miles  by  land,  it  is  computed  to  be  one 
hundred  and  fifty  by  water. 

"The  Wabash  is  four  hundred  yards  wide  at  its  mouth,  three 
hundred  at  Vincennes,  and  two  hundred  at  Fort  Harrison.  It  is 
fordable  in  many  places." 

To  avoid  accompanying  bqats  in  the  tardy  ascent  of  this  river, 
many  travellers  land  at  Evansville*  which  is  situate  at  the  mouth 
of  Great  Pigeon  Creek,  and  proceed  to  Vincennes  by  land.  The 
distance  is  fifty-six  miles.  The  road  is  tolerably  good  in  summer, 
and  much  used ;  but  after  the  autumnal  rains,  quicksands  are  fre- 
quent in  the  barrens  through  this  country. 

Princeton  stands  on  the  road  between  these  towns,  and  is 
twenty-eight  miles  from  each.  It  is  four  miles  south  of  the 
Potoka  river  on  a  handsome  elevation.  The  following  list  was 
made  in  1  mo.  1818. 

"Brick  houses,  three;  frame  houses,  ten;  log  houses  eighty. 
Total  ninety-three.  Six  stores  of  merchandise;  three  taverns; 
three  lawyers;  two  physicians.  There  is  also  a  court  house,  jail, 
clerk's  office,  recorder's  office,  post  office,  and  the  following 
mechanics'  shops:  blacksmiths,  two;  cabinet  makers,  one;  gun- 
smiths, one;  shoemakers,  two;  taylor,  one;  saddlers,  two;  hat- 
ters, one;  tannery,  one;  chairmaker,  one." 

"The  inhabitants  are  principally  Kentuckians." 


"Instances  of  longevity  are  frequent.  There  are  now  living 
in  Vincennes  four  Frenchmen,  who  were  at  the  defeat  of  General 
Braddock,  and  who  have  lived  here  between  fifty  and  sixty  years. 
There  are,  also,  two  French  women  between  eighty  and  ninety 
years  old.  One  person  by  the  name  of  Mills,  died  on  the  Wabash, 
aged  one  hundred  and  fifteen  years."  3  mo.  30,  1817. 

"A  soldier  who  was  with  the  troops  that  defeated  general 
Braddock,  now  resides  here.  He  is  a  stout  healthy  man,  and  able 
to  labour,  though  near  one  hundred  years  old.  He  has  always 
been  temperate."  July  1817. 

This  is  not  used  to  invalidate  the  first  statement.  Another 
account  says,  "last  year  there  were  four  Frenchmen  at  Vincennes, 
who  were  in  Braddock's  defeat,  and  two  this  year."  1818. 

*The  mouth  of  Great  Pigeon  forms  one  of  the  best  harbours  between  Pittsburgh 
and  New  Orleans. 

T— 8 


114  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

The  army  worm  is  periodical.  The  cut  worm  and  the  cater- 
pillar are  annual,  but  their  depredations  are  inconsiderable.  The 
weevil  is  unknown  on  the  Wabash." 


The  correctness  of  Thomas  Jefferson's  opinion,  that  the  Bee 
is  not  a  native  of  our  continent,  has  been  questioned.  I  have 
therefore  been  particular  in  my  inquiries,  and  the  following  state- 
ment will  be  read  with  interest. 

"It  appears  that  the  time  has  been,  when  the  bee  was  not 
known  in  our  country.  The  old  French  settlers  saw  none;  and 
toward  the  Mississippi,  it  has  not  been  more  than  twenty  or 
twenty-five  years  since  it  was  first  discovered.  J.  M' Donald 
informs  me,  that  in  the  Military  bounty  lands  above  the  junction 
of  the  Illinois  with  the  Mississippi,  which  he  surveyed  last  winter, 
the  bee  has  not  been  seen  more  than  fifteen  years." 

Another  correspondent  says,  "Bees  are  very  plenty  in  the 
woods;  and  as  the  Indians  here  call  them  "white  people's  flies", 
it  is  believed  they  are  not  natives. 

"Great  quantities  of  honey  have  been  found  in  the  woods 
above  Fort  Harrison.  One  man  found  twelve  bee-trees  in  less 
than  half  a  day."  6  mo.  16.  1818. 


Pine  grows  up  the  Wabash,  and  on  the  knobs  of  the  Ohio 
and  Silver  Creek."  It  appears,  however,  to  be  a  scarce  article, 
and  even  window-sash  is  made  of  black  walnut. 

"Red  cedar,  of  good  quality,  is  found  up  the  Wabash." 
"I  have  seen  neither  the  chestnut  nor  cucumber  tree  in  this 
country." 


Wherever  the  fire  ceases  to  ravage,  wild  fruits  soon  become 
abundant.  The  plumb,  the  crab  apple,  and  the  persimmon 
trees  appear  in  the  borders  of  the  Prairies;  and  the  grape-vine 
should  be  included  in  this  remark.  Near  M.  Hoggatt's,we  judged 
that  a  hogshead  of  hazel  nuts  might  be  readily  collected.  A  corre- 
spondent confirms  these  observations. 

"This  country  produces  grapes  in  the  greatest  abundance.  I 
came  down  the  Wabash  eight  miles  by  water.  The  shores  are 


DAVID  THOMAS.  115 

lined  with  willows,  many  eight  or  nine  inches  in  diameter,  and  the 
whole  appear  to  be  loaded  with  grape  vines.  Hazel  nuts  are  equally 
plenty.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  black  walnut  and  hickory 
nut,  and  of  the  latter  there  are  several  kinds.  These  afford  food 
in  abundance  for  hogs,  and  they  live  through  the  winter  in  the 
woods  without  any  other  sustenance. "• — "It  is  not  uncommon  for  a 
farmer  to  kill  one  hundred  hogs  and  receive  six  hundred  dollars 
for  them,  without  giving  them  one  ear  of  corn.  I  know  one  man, 
who  sold  pork  this  winter  [1818]  to  the  amount  of  one  thousand 
dollars,  without  one  dollar's  cost  for  food." 

"The  Pecan  in  the  middle  is  about  the  size  of  a  white  oak 
acorn,  but  much  longer,  and  terminates  at  each  end  in  a  point. 
I  think  these  are  more  delicious  than  the  small  shell  bark. 

"The  Persimmon  [near  Vincennes]  is  quite  plenty.  It  grows 
on  a  large  shrub,  or  small  tree.  The  fruit  is  about  the  size  of  a 
small  peach,  and  is  very  delicious.  The  green  fruit  is  remark- 
ably astringent;  and  if  eaten,  affects  the  mouth  so  much,  that  for 
some  time  the  person  is  almost  incapable  of  speaking. 

"The  papaw  is  another  fruit  which  is  unknown  in  New  York. 
I  have  seen  some  trees  of  these  twenty  or  twenty-five  feet  in 
height.  The  fruit  is  cylindrical,  and  larger  than  a  turkey  egg, 
ripens  late  in  autumn,  and  then  becomes  yellow.  The  seeds  like 
those  of  the  persimmon,  resemble  gourd  seed.  The  scent  and 
flavour  are  too  luscious  to  be  agreeable  to  those  who  are  unused 
to  this  fruit;  but  the  disgust  soon  abates,  and  we  find  it  highly 
delicious." 

With  these  fruits,  I  have  been  familiar  from  infancy,  but 
have  preferred  the  language  of  my  correspondent. 


"Wherever  a  high  piece  of  land  appears  on  one  side  of  the 
River,  the  opposite  shore  is  low  and  sunken;  and  from  Raccoon 
Creek,  fifteen  miles  above  Fort  Harrison  to  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
I  believe  there  is  no  exception  to  this  remark. 

"There  is  one  inconvenience  attending  this  country,  exclu- 
sive of  the  overflowing  of  the  Wabash.  All  its  tributary  streams 
after  a  heavy  shower  of  rain,  rise  above  the  banks;  and  overflow 
the  low  land  adjoining,  which  on  all,  is  of  considerable  extent. 
In  time  of  high  water,  it  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  countries  to 
travel  through,  I  ever  saw.  I  have  known  it  for  more  than 
four  weeks  at  one  time,  that  no  person  could  get  away  from  Union 
Prairie,  without  swimming  his  horse,  or  going  in  a  boat." 


116  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

"The  Buffalo  has  totally  abandoned  our  country,  but  the  Elk 
still  remains  in  many  places." 

"Raccoons  are  in  great  plenty,  and  very  destructive  to  corn. 

"The  Pole  Cat  or  Skunk  are  very  numerous  through  out  the 
country,  as  well  on  prairie  as  on  wood  land. 

"The  Opossum  also  inhabits  this  country  in  great  numbers. 
Some  are  as  white  as  snow,  and  others  of  a  light  grey,  resembling 
in  colour  the  grey  rabbit. 

"The  Porcupine  has  been  seen  in  this  country,  but  is  very 
scarce. 

"The  Prairie  Wolf  is  numerous.  In  size,  it  is  a  medium 
between  the  red  fox  and  the  common  grey  wolf.  The  colour  is 
grey.  Its  ears  are  sharp  and  erect  like  those  of  the  fox.  Unless 
several  are  in  company,  it  is  not  destructive  to  sheep;  but  it 
destroys  lambs  and  young  pigs.  On  Christmas  day,  1816,  thirteen 
were  killed  on  Fort  Harrison  Prairie  without  firing  a  gun.  During 
the  same  winter,  there  were  about  thirty  killed  on  Union  Prairie, 
by  running  them  down  with  dogs  and  horses.  It  is  very  resolute 
when  attacked  and  unable  to  escape;  no  dog  alone  is  able  to  sub- 
due it.  In  the  summer  season  it  is  not  to  be  seen;  but  in  winter 
it  frequents  the  prairies  in  great  numbers. 

"The  grey  and  the  black  wolf  are  also  natives.  Whether  these 
are  different  species  or  not,  I  must  leave  undetermined." 

"I  find  no  black  squirrels  in  this  country,  but  it  abounds  with 
grey  ones  hardly  so  large  as  the  black  squirrel  with  you." 


"The  Pelican,  so  common  on  the  Mississippi,  also  frequents 
tnis  river,  but  not  in  great  numbers.  I  saw  the  head  of  one  which 
had  been  taken  near  Vincennes.  From  the  point  of  the  bill,  which 
is  from  seven  to  ten  inches  long,  a  pouch  or  loose  skin  extends  to 
the  breast,  which  would  contain  about  ten  quarts." 

"The  Swan  is  sometimes  seen  on  this  river." 

The  Crow  appears  in  great  numbers,  and  are  very  destructive 
to  corn." 

"A  bird  inhabits  this  country,  called  the  sandy  hill  Crane. 
Its  size  is  remarkable.  When  full  grown  and  standing  erect  (for 
its  legs  and  neck  are  very  long)  it  is  between  five  and  six  feet 


DAVID  THOMAS.  117 

in  height.  The  colour  if  nearly  that  of  iron  rust.  I  have  seen  large 
flock?  on  the  prairies.  It  is  very  wild  and  noisy.  When  slightly 
wounded,  no  dog  can  approach  it  with  impunity." 

"The  Prairie  Hen  is  rarely  seen  in  summer;  but  in  winter,  it 
is  more  numerous  on  the  prairies  than  quails  are  in  the  state  of 
New  York.  The  size  is  nearly  that  of  the  common  domestic  hen. 
It  is  spotted  like  the  guinea  fowl,  but  the  colour  is  browner,  like 
the  pheasant.  The  tail  is  shorter  and  does  not  spread  like  that  of 
the  pheasant.  The  difference  between  the  cock  and  the  hen  is  not 
greater  than  in  those  of  the  quail;  the  male  is  a  little  larger,  and 
the  stripes  on  the  side  of  the  head  are  a  little  brighter  than  those 
of  the  female.  It  can  fly  much  farther,  and  with  more  apparent 
ease,  than  either  the  quail  or  pheasant.  As  an  article  of  food,  I 
think  it  inferior  to  the  dung-hill  fowl.  It  lays  about  twenty  eggs, 
and  brings  forth  its  young  in  the  early  part  of  summer.  Though  its 
common  food  is  procured  in  the  woods,  it  is  fond  of  corn  and 
grain." 

"The  Robin  and  the  red  headed  Woodpecker  are  numerous." 

"On  the  approach  of  any  large  bird  the  Parroquets  immed- 
iately commence  frying  round  and  round  in  flocks,  screaming  most 
hideoufly.  In  this  way,  they  escape  the  hawk." 

"The  Hen  Hawk  is  not  very  numerous." 

"Wild  Turkies  abound  in  this  country.  Wild  geese  and  ducks 
are  also  plenty.  I  have  never  seen  a  loon  in  these  waters." 

"The  Wabash  abounds  with  fish  of  many  kinds;  which,  in  the 
months  of  April,  May  and  June,  may  be  readily  caught  with  the 
hook  and  line." 

The  Gar  or  Bill  fish  is  more  than  two  feet  in  length.  It  is 
quite  slim.  The  bill  is  about  six  inches  long,  tapering  to  a  point. 
Its  scales  are  very  close,  thick,  and  hard." 

"The  strength  of  this  fish  is  great.  In  a  small  Creek  which 
flows  into  the  Wabash,  I  discovered  a  considerable  number,  and 
caught  several  in  my  hands;  but  was  absolutely  unable  to  hold 
one." 

There  are  three  kinds  of  Cat-fish:  the  Mississippi  cat,  the  mud 
cat,  and  the  bull  head.  Some  of  the  first  have  weighed  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  pounds.  The  mud  cat  is  covered  with  clouded 
spots,  and  is  a  very  homely  fish.  The  head  is  very  wide  and  flat. 
Some  have  weighed  one  hundred  pounds. 

"The  real  sturgeon  is  found  in  the  Wabash,  though  the  size  is 


118  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

not  large.  These  have  been  taken  from  twenty  to  sixty  pounds 
weight. 

"The  shovel  fish  or  flat  nose  is  another  species  of  sturgeon.  It 
weighs  about  twenty  pounds. 

"The  pond  pike  is  taken  in  ponds  from  one  to  three  feet  long, 
but  very  slim.  It  is  an  excellent  fish. 

"The  river  pike  is  large  and  highly  eeteemed,  but  scarce. 

"The  drum  or  white  perch  weighs  from  one  to  thirty  pounds. 
It  is  shaped  like  the  sun  fish. 

"The  black  perch  or  bass  is  excellent,  and  weighs  from  one  to 
seven  pounds. 

"The  streaked  bass  is  scarce. 

"The  Buffalo  fish  is  of  the  sucker  kind,  and  very  common. 
Weight  from  two  to  thirty  pounds. 

"The  rock  Mullet  is  sometimes  seen  three  feet  long.  It  is  slim, 
and  weighs  from  ten  to  fifteen  pounds. 

"The  red  horse  is  also  of  the  sucker  kind.  It  is  large  and  bony, 
weighing  from  five  to  fifteen  pounds. 

"The  Jack  pike  or  pickerel  is  an  excellent  fish,  and  weighs  from 
six  to  twenty  pounds." 

In  another  communication,  I  found  the  silver-sides  noticed 
without  any  description.  "It  weighs  from  three  to  six  pounds." 

The  eel  is  frequently  taken  in  the  Wabash,  and  weighs  from 
one  to  three  pounds.  I  was  told  that  no  fish  was  found  in  these 
waters  of  a  good  quality  for  pickling;  and  the  facts,  that  mackerel 
are  brought  over  the  mountains  from  Philadelphia,  and  white 
fish  from  Detroit,  tend  to  confirm  that  statement. 


"The  fresh  water  clam  or  muscle  is  so  plenty,  as  to  be  gathered 
and  burnt  for  lime.  Twenty  years  ago,  I  am  told,  no  other  kind 
of  lime  was  procured." 


"Craw  fish,  which  resembles  the  lobster,  is  very  common  in  the 
low  lands  of  this  country.  It  is  a  size  larger  than  the  common 
crab.  It  works  in  the  ground,  and  throws  up  heaps  of  earth  about 
six  inches  high,  and  hollow  within.  These  little  mounds  are  very 
numerous,  and  the  surface  of  the  ground  resembles  a  honey  comb." 


DAVID  THOMAS.  119 

"The  Ground  Mole  of  this  country  is  nearly  as  large  as  the  com- 
mon rat.  It  is  very  injurious  in  gardens.  It  moves  along  at  the 
depth  of  two  or  three  inches  under  ground,  raising  a  considerable 
ridge;  and  not  only  loosens  the  roots  of  vegetables,  but  devours 
them.  It  is  remarkable  how  fast  these  little  animals  can  force 
their  way  through  the  earth." 

"Horned  cattle  are  subject  to  the  murrain,  which  sometimes  has 
been  very  destructive.  It  may  be  prevented  by  care,  and  cured  by 
proper  applications." 

"In  the  old  settled  parts  of  this  country,  but  little  fodder  is 
saved;  the  wood  pastures  are  exhausted;  and  the  cattle  in  spring, 
become  poor,  get  sickly  and  die." 


"The  most  common  diseases  are  fevers  and  agues,  with  some 
liver  complaints.  The  dysentery  is  very  little  known.  In  my 
opinion,  diseases  yield  sooner  to  medicine  than  in  more  northern 
climates." 


"The  prevailing  diseases  of  this  country  are  bilious,  which 
sometimes  terminate  in  malignant  typhus.  It  is  quite  rare  to 
hear  of  sickness  from  November  until  some  time  in  the  summer," 


"A  list  of  the  prevailing  diseases  in  this  country  is  subjoined. 

"Typhus,  gravior  et  minor — Bilious,  intermittent  and  remit- 
tent fevers.  Pleurisy  is  frequent  in  spring.  Rheumatism  and 
consumption  are  very  rare,  compared  with  New- York.  A  wet 
spring  followed  by  drowth  is  an  unfavourable  indication." 


From  my  DIARY  of  7  mo.  15.    I  copy  the  following  paragraphs. 

'It  ought  not  to  be  concealed  that  at  present  in  this  country, 
there  are  many  sick  people;  and  we  believe  that  there  are  many 
situations,  some  of  which  have  been  noticed,  that  may  properly 
be  denominated  sickly;  but  we  could  not,  with  any  propriety, 
extend  this  remark  to  the  country  in  general.  We  know  of  no 
person  who  is  sick  near  this  river,  but  who  would  have  been  sick, 


120  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

probably,  with  the  same  exposure  in  any  part  of  the  United 
States.  The  manner  of  removing  hither,  is  such,  that  our  surprise 
is  rather  excited  that  so  few  are  diseased.  Many  are  cooped  up 
during  the  heat  of  summer  for  six  weeks,  exposed  to  the  powerful 
reflection  of  the  sun  from  the  water,  while  the  roof  over  their  heads 
is  heated  like  an  oven.  In  addition,  they  have  the  smell  of  bilge 
water,  and  the  exhalations  from  the  muddy  shores.  Their  daily 
drink  is  supplied  by  the  river;  its  warmth  relaxes  the  tone  of  the 
stomach;  and  the  putrid  particles  which  float  through  it,  operate 
unresisted. 

'On  landing,  their  situation  is  not  much  better.  Huts  insuffi- 
cient to  shelter  them  from  storms,  or  from  the  chilling  damps  of 
the  night,  become  their  homes;  and  bad  water,  with  provisions 
not  well  chosen,  and  to  which  the  constitution  is  not  habituated, 
combine  to  derange  to  system.  When  this  event  happens,  and 
fevers  prevail,  the  occasional  cause  is  not  removed,  and  in  many 
cases  no  proper  medicine  is  administered.  Such  have  been  the 
circumstances  of  many  emigrants  from  the  eastward,  and  es- 
pecially of  those  who  were  indigent.' 

These  paragraphs  explain  the  causes  of  disease  which  in  that 
summer  so  remarkably  prevailed  near  the  Wabash.  Of  the  sick, 
the  chief  part  were  new  comers.  In  1815  the  same  observation  was 
made;  and  from  the  population  of  Vincennes,  and  of  the  district 
immediately  around  it,  which  was  estimated  at  three  thousand, 
"twenty-five  persons  died,  but  nineteen  of  that  number  were 
strangers." 

In  the  first  settling  of  Cayuga  county,  it  was  remarked  that 
emigrants  from  the  eastward,  were  more  sickly  than  those  who 
crossed  the  mountains  from  the  south.  The  causes  of  disease  could 
be  clearly  traced  to  the  marshes  of  the  Seneca  river,  which  was  the 
common  thoroughfare  in  summer,  before  the  present  turnpike 
road  was  completed. 

From  what  I  have  observed,  a  change  of  climate  (where  it 
chiefly  consists  of  a  change  of  temperature)  has  but  a  slight 
influence  on  a  healthy  constitution;  and  this  will  appear  rational 
when  we  consider,  that  the  heat  of  summer  in  high  latitudes,  is 
frequently  as  great  and  as  oppressive  as  is  regions  far  to  the 
south. 

But  a  change  of  climate  is  often  attended  by  other  changes 
of  greater  importance.  Excessive  and  unaccustomed  fatigue, 
uncomfortable  lodgings,  and  inferior  diet,  are  only  part  of  the 
vicissitudes  to  which  travellers  in  new  countries  are  exposed. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  121 

The  danger  to  this  class  is  sometimes  increased  by  inquietude  of 
mind,  which  prompts  the  convalescent  to  exertions  beyond  his 
strength;  and  a  relapse  in  fevers  is  frequently  fatal.  . 

Having  thus  brought  the  danger  into  view,  some  remarks  on 
the  best  means  to  avoid  it,  may  not  be  inappropriate. 

In  the  spring  of  1817  the  late  S.  R.  BROWN,  desired  my  opinion 
on  the  question,  whether  a  residence  in  Indiana  would  be  favour- 
able to  the  health  of  emigrants  from  higher  latitudes?  A  paper  was 
accordingly  prepared  under  the  disadvantages  of  great  haste  and 
much  indisposition,  and  without  any  corrections,  published  in  his 
WESTERN  GAZETTEER.  The  advice  which  it  contain?,  however, 
I  am  persuaded  is  of  importance;  and  having  apprised  him  that 
that  view  of  the  subject  was  intended  for  this  work,  I  shall  pro- 
ceed with  the  transcription,  altering,  where  I  deem  it  proper. 
Much  of  this  is  intended  for  emigrants  from  the  eastern  states. 

Descend  the  river  after  the  commencement  of  autumnal 
frosts.  The  effect  of  these  in  neutralizing  or  preventing  putrid 
exhalations  has  been  frequently  observed;  and  the  smell  from 
the  shores  after  a  flood,  in  warm  weather,  is  very  offensive. 

Avoid  going  in  a  vessel  with  a  leaky  roof.  A  crowded  boat 
is  an  inconvenient  place  to  dry  wet  clothes;  and  the  expense  of 
being  comfortably  sheltered,  will  frequently  be  less  than  tha  dam- 
age in  furniture,  without  considering  the  probable  loss  of  health. 
To  bend  thin  boards  for  a  cover  is  customary,  but  not  sufficient. 
I  have  seen  no  roof  of  that  kind  which  would  be  a  shelter  from  a 
driving  shower  of  rain.  A  sick  woman  said  to  me  near  the  Wabash, 
"I  ascribe  my  sickness,  in  great  measure,  to  one  dismal  night  that  I 
endured  on  the  river.  The  rain  poured  through  every  part  of  the 
roof,  and  to  sit  on  the  bed  with  my  children  under  an  umbrella 
was  our  only  refuge". 

If,  however,  to  descend  in  spring  is  unavoidable,  start  as  soon 
as  the  river  is  clear  of  ice.  Make  no  delay;  for  not  only  health,  but 
life  may  depend  on  a  timely  escape  from  the  effluvia  of  those 
shores. 

If  the  river  be  low,  and  by  this  or  other  unavoidable  delays, 
warm  weather  should  surround  the  emigrant  on  the  river,  guard 
against  a  heated  roof  overhead.  Boards  nailed  on  the  inside,  or 
an  awning  on  the  outside,  will  be  important  auxiliaries  to  com- 
fort and  to  health. 

At  such  times,  nb  river  water  should  be  used  without  filter- 
ing. This  operation  may  be  expeditiously  performed  in  a  vessel 
like  an  upright  churn  with  two  bottoms.  These  are  three  or  four 


122  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

inches  apart;  and  the  upper,  in  which  many  small  holes  are  bored, 
receives  in  the  center,  a  tube  one  inch  in  diameter,  extending  above 
the  vessel,  and  communicating  with  the  cavity  between  the  bot- 
toms. After  spreading  a  cloth  on  the  upper  bottom,  fill  the  vessel 
upward  with  well  washed  sand,  and  from  above  let  in  water  down- 
ward through  the  tube.  In  a  short  time  it  will  rise  through 
the  sand,  divested  of  its  impurities,  and  run  over  at  an  ear  in 
sufficient  quantities  for  every  culinary  purpose.  In  a  few  days 
the  apparatus  may  need  cleansing.  As  the  filth  will  be  chiefly 
below,  a  hole  opened  in  the  lower  bottom  will  allow  it  to  pass 
off.  See  Melish's  Travels,  vol.  1.  p.  159. 

If  the  water  have  not  an  agreeable  coolness,  cider  or  strong 
beer  should  be  mixed  with  it  for  drink,  as  the  warmth  without 
some  stimulant  will  relax  the  tone  of  the  stomach,  and  predispose 
the  system  to  disease. 

But  beware  of  spiritous  liquors.  If  such,  however,  are  taken, 
let  the  quantity  be  cautiously  regulated.  Every  excess  debilitates; 
and  to  think  of  escaping  disease,  by  keeping  always  in  a  state  of 
excitement,  is  desperate  folly.  When  fevers  attack  such  subjects 
it  is  commonly  fatal.  Some  men  who  travel  much,  and  who  have 
neither  moral  nor  religious  scruples  to  dissuade  them,  totally 
abstain  from  spirits  in  unhealthy  situations.  Rich  wholesome* 
food,  guards  the  stomach  much  better  from  infection,  nor  would 
I  omit  in  the  list  of  such  articles,  well  cured  ham  and  strong 
coffee. 

Travellers  should  never  change  their  diet  for  the  worse. 
The  fatiuges  [fatigues]  of  mind  and  body,  in  most  cases,  require 
that  it  should  be  for  the  better.  To  live  comfortably  is  true  econ- 
omy. Any  additional  expense  in  provisions  would  form  but  a 
small  item  in  a  doctor's  bill,  without  taking  into  view  the  loss  of 
time,  of  comfort,  or  of  the  expenses  of  nursing.  To  lay  in  a  good 
stock  of  wholesome  provisions  should  therefore,  by  no  means,  be 
neglected. 

On  landing,  let  one  of  the  first  objects  be  to  provide  a  com- 
fortable habitation.  Water  from  brooks  should  be  filtered,  but 
during  summer  no  dependance  ought  to  be  placed  on  this  supply. 
If  springs  are  not  con\enient,  dig  wells.  Much  of  the  sickness  of 
new  countries  is  induced  by  bad  water. 

Let  no  temptation  prevail  on  the  emigrant  to  go  fishing  in 

*In  a  medical  author  I  find  the  following  interesting  remark:  "The  predisposing 
cause  of  intermittents,  is  clearly  debility,  with  penury  of  blood;  because  the  robust, 
and  such  as  have  a  generous  diet,  are  most  free  from  this  disease." 


DAVID  THOMAS.  123 

warm  weather.  Of  the  smell  of  the  shores  I  have  spoken.  To  be 
wet  is  imprudent;  and  to  be  exposed  to  the  chilling  damps  of  the 
night,  greatly  increases  the  danger.  But  fresh  fish*  are  unwhole- 
some, except  for  a  slight  change  of  diet.  We  know  of  no  new  set- 
tlement that  has  been  healthy,  where  the  inhabitants  live  chiefly 
on  fresh  fish.  If,  however,  fish  must  be  eaten,  buy  them;  any 
price  is  cheaper  than  health;  and  if  fishing  must  be  done,  do 
it  in  cloudy  weather;  but  at  night  be  comfortably  sheltered. 

Let  no  fertility  of  the  river  flats  be  an  inducement  to  cultivate 
them,  until  naturalized  to  the  climate;  or  more  properly,  recovered 
from  the  fatigues  attending  emigration,  for  composure  of  mind  is  as 
important  as  refreshment  to  the  body.  When  the  body  is  debili- 
tated either  by  labour  or  fasting,  it  is  more  susceptible  of  infec- 
tion, and  these  exhalations  after  floods  are  putrid.  Land  of  an 
inferior  quality,  in  a  dry  airy  situation  will  yield  greater  neat 
profits. 

Delay  in  taking  medicine,  is  often  fatal.  The  patient  ought 
not  to  wait  till  he  is  down  sick,  but  if  the  stomach  is  disordered, 
which  is  the  case  at  the  commencement  of  all  fevers,  a  glass  of 
pearl  ash  and  water  may  afford  relief.  The  quantity  is  stated  at 
page  147.  If  this  should  prove  insufficient,  take  an  emetic,  or 
small  doses  of  emetic  tartar,  only  to  nauseate.  Should  this  pro- 
duce an  intermission,  with  a  moist  skin  and  clean  tongue,  take 
Peruvian  bark,  or  those  of  dogwood,  (box-wood)  willow,  or  oak, 
which  have  been  found  eminently  useful. 

Of  alkaline  medicines,  perhaps  pear  lash  is  the  best.  Its  good 
effect  in  cholera  morbus,  diarrhoea,  &c.  have  been  often  experi- 
enced; and  it  is  always  an  excellent  preventive.  It  sweetens  the 
stomach  and  promotes  digestion. 

I  have  one  caution  more  for  the  emigrant.  The  water,  in 
places,  throughout  all  the  Ohio  country,  is  saturated  with  sul- 
phate of  lime.  This,  like  the  sulphates  of  soda  and  magnesia,  is 
cathartic;  and  in  one  ounce  doses,  is  an  active  medicine.  Incon- 
venience to  grown  persons  from  these  waters,  however,  is  rarely 
experienced;  but  on  small  children  the  effect  is  considerable,  and 

*"The  Roman  Catholics,  who,  during  forty  days  Lent,  rigourously  abstain  from 
flesh,  but  indulge  freely  in  a  fish  diet,  are  said  to  be  less  nourished  by  it,  and  to  become 
sensibly  thinner  and  weaker,  as  HALLEB,  indeed,  tells  us  he  had  himself  experienced. 

"The  disorders  of  the  system,  the  herpetic,  leprous  and  scorbutic  eruptions  to  which 
the  ichthyophagi  are  said  to  be  more  especially  liable,  show,  we  think  with  other  ob- 
servations, that  fish  is  neither  so  easily  digested  nor  assimilated  to  the  human  system 
as  Sesh. 

"Sea  fish  are  more  nourishing  than  those  which  inhabit  the  rivers  and  fresh  waters." 
Edin.  Encycl.  Art.  Aliment. 


124  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

to  those  just  weaned  •  it  has  often  proved  fatal,  by  inducing 
diarrhoea,*  whiqh  exhausts  the  patient,  for  no  medicine  can  give 
permanent  relief  while  the  occasional  cause  is  unremoved.  This  is 
easily  done  by  refusing  water  and  giving  milk.  If  the  disease 
is  far  advanced,  paregoric  may  be  necessary  to  diminish  the 
irritability. 

From  the  same  cause,  the  waters  in  many  parts  of  the  Western 
District  of  New- York,  produce  a  similar  effect.  I  discovered  the 
benefit  of  this  practice  in  one  of  my  children,  who  seemed  wast- 
ing to  a  skeleton;  and  have  since  witnessed  much  of  its  good 
effects  on  others. 


The  beautiful  bluff  above  Turtle  Creek,  noticed  at  page  170, 
now  called  Merom,  has  become  the  seat  of  justice  for  Sullivan 
county;  and  was  selected  by  commissioners  appointed  under  an 
act  of  the  Legislature.  The  agent,  who  was  authorized  to  sell  the 
lots,  makes  the  following  remarks  in  his  advertisement: 

"It  is  situate  on  the  east  bank  of  the  River,  thirty-five  miles 
above  Vincennes,  on  that  elevated  ground  known  by  the  name 
of  The  Bluff,  the  highest  bank  of  the  Wabash  from  its  mouth  to 
the  northf  line  of  the  state.  The  river  washes  the  base  of  this 
high  land  one  mile.  Freestone  [sandstone]  and  a  quality  [quan- 
tity] of  [impure]  limestone,  appear  in  the  bank  in  great  abundance. 
Springs  in  every  direction  around  the  town  are  discovered. 

"From  the  most  elevated  point  of  the  bluff,  the  eye  can  be 
gratified  with  the  charming  view  of  La  Motte  Prairie,  immediately 
below  in  front;  and  with  Ellison  and  Union  Prairies  on  the  right 
and  left;  the  whole  stretching  along  the  river  a  distance  of  not 
less  than  thirty  miles,  and  all  now  rapidly  settling.  In  the  rear 

*Children  accustomed  to  take  all  their  food  in  a  liquid  form,  retain  after  weaning 
an  eagerness  for  liquids;  and  as  water  is  generally  at  hand,  it  is  substituted  for  the 
mild  aliment  of  which  they  have  been  deprived.  When  either  the  sulphate  of  lime  or 
of  magnesia,  is  held  in  solution,  these  substances  operate  actively  on  the  delicate  flbre 
and  the  peristaltic  motion  is  greatly  increased.  In  proportion  to  the  loss  of  moisture 
thus  sustained  by  the  system,  will  be  the  thirst.  With  every  draught  fresh  causes  of 
irritation  succeed, — the  motion  of  the  lacteals  become  inverted —  and  emaciation  and 
debility  rapidly  ensue. 

fit  should  have  been  written  east  line  of  the  State.  In  no  part  of  its  course  does  the 
Wabash  approach  the  north  line  of  the  state. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  125 

of  this  beautiful  site,  is  a  flourishing  settlement  of  twenty  or  thirty 
farmers,  three  miles  east  of  the  town." 

Gill's  Prairie,  south  three  miles,  has  at  present  a  handsome 
population  of  industrious  farmers. 

"A  mile  and  a  half  from  the  town,  a  mill  will  soon  be  erected 
on  Turtle  Creek  by  a*  Mr.  Bennett.— June  27,  1817." 

It  is  with  much  satisfaction,  that  we  perceive  a  new  name  for  a 
new  town  or  village.  Hitherto  when  the  importations  from  Europe 
or  Asia  have  been  insufficient,  it  has  become  necessary  to  borrow 
from  our  neighbours,  to  a  degree  that  is  absolutely  humiliating; 
and  perhaps  in  no  part  of  the  United  States  is  this  practice  car- 
ried to  the  same  excess  as  in  Ohio.  The  following  list  of  names 
is  copied  from  Kilbourn's  Gazetteer  of  that  state,  published  in 
1817. 

6  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Fair-field. 
5  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Franklin. 

5  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Goshen. 

10  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Green. 

7  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Harrison. 
7  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Jackson. 

11  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Jefferson. 

6  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Liberty. 
14  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Madison. 

5  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Milf  ord. 
5  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Oxford. 
5  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Pleasant. 
5  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Richland. 

7  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Salem. 

10  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Springfield. 
17  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Union. 

11  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Washington. 

12  towns  or  villages  of  the  name  of  Wayne. 

To  persons  who  find  it  necessary  for  them  to  impose  a  name, 
we  would  suggest,  that  any  thing  is  more  tolerable  than  the  repe- 
titions that  now  assail  us. 


Rapp's  congregation  are  settled  at  Harmony,  fifty  miles  below 
Vincennes.  The  cultivation  of  the  vine  has  engaged  their  atten- 

*We  object  to  employing  the  indefinite  article  in  this  manner.  Though  it  may  seem 
discourteous  to  attack  in  an  individual,  what  fashion  has  sanctioned,  yet  we  mean  no 
personal  rebuke — entering  our  protest  in  general  terms  against  a  custom,  which  in  our 
ears  has  always  been  harsh,  unnecessary  and  ungraceful.  If  the  writer  means  in  this 
manner  to  guard  against  mistaking  one  person  for  another,  it  must  at  least  be  conceded, 
that  the  attempt  is  awkward  and  insufficient;  and  as  it  is  understood  for  a  hint  that 
the  individual  so  noticed  is  obscure,  we  suggest  whether  its  discontinuance  would  not 
be  an  advancement  in  good  manners. 


126  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

tion;  but  the  manufacture  of  cloth,  nails,  &c.  with  the  production 
of  grain  has  claimed  a  share.    A  steam  Mill  has  been  erected. 


"We  have  a  law  which  requires  every  military  and  civil  officer 
to  take  an  oath  or  affirmation  to  suppress  duelling  in  every  shape 
and  form."  It  will  be  well  if  this  oath  be  not  considered  as  words 
without  meaning,  for  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Ohio,  this 
atrocious  practice  is  quite  in  fashion. 

"Forty  dollars  may  be  collected  by  a  Justice  of  the  Peace." 

I  noticed  the  following  vegetables  growing  indigenously,  near 

the  Wabash,  between  Vincennes  and  Fort  Harrison;  but  am  aware 

that  this  list  gives  a  very  imperfect  view  of  the  BOTANY  of  that 

District. 

Acer  saccharinum sugar  maple. 

Acer  glaucum river  maple. 

Acer  negundo : .  .  .  ash  leaved  maple. 

Acer  rubum soft  or  red  flowering  maple. 

Ascelepias  decumbens butterfly  weed. 

Asclepias  syriaca silk  weed,  Indian  hemp. 

Asclepias : milk  weed  and  others. 

Annona  triloba papaw. 

Arum  dracontium many  leaved  Indian  turnip. 

Asarum  canadense wild  ginger. 

Aralia  spinosa angelica  tree. 

Aralia  racemosa spikenard. 

Ambrosia  trifida 

Ambrosia  artimisifolia hog  or  bitter  weed. 

Adiantum  pedatum maiden  hair. 

Bignonia  radicans red  trumpet  flower. 

Corylus  americana common  hazel. 

Corylus  cornuta .' .  horned. 

Celtis  occidentalis nettle  tree  or  hackberry. 

Cercis  canadensis fish  blossom,  or  Judas  tree. 

Car  ex,  many  species sedge. 

Cassia  marylandica wild  senna. 

Ceanothus  americanus Jersey  tea  plant. 

Cephalanthus  occidentalis button  flower. 

Convallaria  multiflora Solomon's  seal. 

Convolvulus  panduratus wild  potatoe. 

Carduus,  several  species thistle. 

Carpinus  americana horn  beam. 

Circea  lutetiana? Enchanter's  night  shade. 

Collinsonia  canadensis horse  weed. 

Dyospyros  virginiana persimmon. 

Dirca  palustris leather  wood. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  127 

JEsculus  flava* stinking  buckeye. 

Evonymus  americanus spindle  tree. 

Fragaria  virginiana strawberry. 

Fagus  ferruginea beech. 

Fraxinus ash — white  and  blue. 

Frasera  verticillata Columbo  root. 

Guilandina  dioica Kentucky  coffee  tree. 

Gleditsia  triacanthos    honey  locust. 

Monospermaf (almost  without  spines.) 

Galium,  several  species goose  grass. 

Helianthus,  several  species Sunflower. 

Hedera  quinquefolia poison  ivy. 

Hydrangea  arborescens 

Impaiiens touch-me-not. 

7ns  virginica blue  flag. 


Juglans  pecan 

Juglans  squamosa. . 

Juglans  ovala 

Juglans 


TT.        .  .  .  .pecan. 

Hicconus 


of 
RAFINESQUE 


shell  bark, 
.bitter  nut. 
.  upland  pig  nut. 


Juglans  cinerea black  walnut. 

Juglans  nigra butter  nut,  or  white  walnut. 

Jeffcrsonia  diphylla two  leaved  Jeffersonia. 

Laurus  sassafras sassafras. 

Laurus  benzoin spice  wood. 

Liquidambar  styraciflua sweet  gum. 

Liriodendron  lulipifera tulip  poplar,  white  wood. 

Lobelia  inflata 

Monardo wild  mint. 

Morns  rubra mulberry. 

Nyssa  iutegrifolia gum-tree — pepperidge. 

Platanus  occidentalis button  wood. 

Populus  angulata cotton  wood. 

Pyrus  coronaria crab  apple. 

Potentilla,  two  species cinquefoil. 

Podophyllum  pellatum mandrake,  May  apple. 

Polygonum,  various  species 

Panax  quinquefolium ginseng. 

Prunus wild  plumb. 

Quercus  nigra black  oak. 

Quercus  alba white  oak. 

Quercus  rubra red  oak. 

Quercus  prinos  v.  palustris swamp  chestnut  oak. 

Quercus  phellos willow  leaved. 

Quercus  Iriloba true  black  jack. 

Quercus  discolor swamp  white  oak. 

Quercus Spanish  oak. 

Robinia  pseud-acacia black  locust. 

Robiniaf (in  the  swamp  east  of  Vincennes.) 

*This  is  not  abundant.      The  wood  is  of  small  value.      Cattle  have  been  poisoned 
by  the  fruit. 


128  EAELY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Rubus  villosus* ' black  berry. 

Rubus  occidentalis black  raspberry. 

Rhus  glabrum smooth  sumach. 

Rhus  typhinum stag's  horn. 

Rhus  radicans poison  vine. 

Rhus another. 

Smilax  rotundifolia green  briar. 

Smilax herbaceous. 

Spirea  salicafolia willow  leaved  spirea. 

Spirea  herbaceous meadow  sweet. 

Salix  conifera cone  bearing  willow. 

Salix  nigra black. 

Salix  trislis shrub. 

Salix? (with  linear  leaves  near  Fort  Har- 
rison.) 

Scandix,  two  species cicely. 

Solatium  carolinense\ horse  nettle,  or  Irish  plumb. 

Tilia  americana basswood,  or  linden. 

Ulmus .red  elm. 

Ulmus white  elm. 

Urtica  divaricata common  nettle. 

Urtica  pumila stingless. 

Urtica another. 

Vitis,  two  species grape  vine. 

Vitis  vulpina fox  grape  not  observed. 

Verbena,  several  species vervain. 

DR.  DRAKE  mentions  the  Catalpa  in  Indiana  as  far  north  as 
Cincinnati,  but  I  did  not  observe  it. 

A  plant,  which  I  conjecture  to  be  a  species  of  Plantago,  abounds 
in  the  channels  of  small  streams  west  of  Loghary.  It  is  of  a  larger 
growth  than  the  P.  major.  I  have  not  seen  it  as  far  west  as 
Madison;  but  on  our  return  I  observed  it  in  the  state  of  Ohio, 
between  Xenia  and  Columbus. 

A  new  species  of  Viburnum  also  grows  along  these  streams.  It 
resembles  the  V.  dentatum;  but  the  bark  is  scaly  like  the  Spirea 
opulifolia,  and  has  no  suckers  like  the  arrow  wood. 


The  Potoka  discharges  its  waters  into  the  Wabash,  one  mile 
below  the  mouth  of  White  river.    It  is  navigable  for  boats.    Where 

*One  of  these  shrubs  had  grown  up  near  the  branches  of  a  crab  tree,  which  pre- 
vented the  stalk  from  bending  until  it  had  attained  the  height  of  twelve  feet.  When 
I  observed  it,  it  was  finely  loaded  with  ripe  fruit. 

fThis  vegetable  grows  in  the  clayey  prairies  east  of  Shakertown.  Whether  a  native, 
or  not  it  is  uncertain.  It  is  scantilly  armed  with  spines,  and  when  it  takes  possession 
of  a  piece  of  ground,  on  account  of  its  deep  penetrating  roots,  is  removed  with  diffi- 
culty. 


DAVID  THOMAS.  129 

the  road  from  Princeton  to  Vincennes,  crosses  this  stream,  the 
current  is  dull  and  deep;  but  there  is  a  mill-seat  just  below  which  is 
formed  by  considerable  rapids. 


'Coal  is  found  thirty  miles  below  Fort  Harrison,  in  the  banks 
of  a  small  brook.  This  mine  we  viewed  as  we  went  up  the  river. 
On  the  White  river,  and  its  branches  this  fossil  is  abundant. 
It  is  also  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Fort  Harrison.  Lime- 
stone appears  in  considerable  quantities  in  the  bank  of  a  small  creek 
which  empties  into  the  Wabash  three  miles  below  that  Fort, 
and  in  several  places  further  up  the  river.'  Diary  of  7  mo.  1816. 

"Limestone  is  found  near  Princeton.  It  also  appears  below 
York,  on  fraction  No.  17,  of  Township  8,  north  Range  11  west. 
Coal  is  found  west,  directly  opposite  to  Fort  Harrison,  under  a 
bank  six  feet  high.  It  has  also  been  found  under  limestone,  in  the 
Illinois  Territory  on  the  line  between  townships  No.  8  and  9, 
north  range,  12  west.  1818." 

I.  have  no  doubt  that  coal,  limestone,  and  sandstone  will  be 
found  plentifully  in  the  high  woodlands  in  every  part  of  that  coun- 
try, when  proper  search  shall  be  made.  In  such  soils  we  have  never 
seen  the  friable  earth  very  deep,  and  solid  rock  unquestionably 
forms  the  foundation  of  the  hills. 


"Last  autumn,  [1817,]  the  Indians  brought  twenty-eight  pounds 
of  copper  to  Fort  Harrison,  in  one  lump.  The  metal  is  so  pure, 
that  without  any  refining,  it  has  answered  all  the  purposes  of 
imported  copper.  It  is  supposed  that  the  Indians  found  it  about 
thirty  miles  above  the  mouth  of  Raccoon  creek,  in  Indiana."  My 
friend  J.  BENNETT,  from  whom  I  received  this  account,  has  kindly 
furnished  me  with  a  specimen,  and  no  doubt  can  exist  of  its  excel- 
lence. Its  malleability  I  have  well  ascertained. 

But  though  it  should  be  proved  that  they  found  it  at  the 
place  designated,  there  would  be  much  uncertainty  at  present, 
whether  the  discovery  is  of  much  importance;  that  is,  whether 
the  metal  is  a  native  of  the  rocky  strata  which  underlay  the  coun- 
try, or  whether,  like  the  granite,  it  has  been  scattered  on  the  sur- 
face. When  the  numerous  facts  which  shew  that  the  granite 
arrived  from  the  north  are  considered, — and  also,  the  resemblance 
of  this  copper  to  that  on  the  south  shore  of  lake  Superior, — a  con- 
jecture, assigning  both  to  the  same  origin,  would  be  plausible. 

T— 9 


130  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

All  the  best  lands  near  the  Wabash  river  which  had  not  been 
reserved  by  government,  or  located  by  Canadian  claimants,  were 
sold  at  auction  in.the  9  mo.  1816.  Much  land  of  the  second  or  third 
quality,  (and  no  inconsiderable  part  of  these  kinds  is  very  fertile) 
remained,  however,  for  entry  at  two  dollars  an  acre  payable 
within  four  years,  by  instalments.  One  fourth  within  two  years, 
and  the  remainder  in  two  equal  annual  payments.  This  condition 
is  the  rule;  and  eight  per  cent  interest  is  added  to  all  payments 
after  such  become  due,  and  eight  per  cent  discount  is  allowed  for 
prompt  pay.  Thus  lands  paid  for  at  the  time  of  entry,  only  cost 
one  dollar  and  sixty  three  cents  an  acre. 

To  accommodate  persons  who  may  be  unprepared  to  make  a 
payment  in  full — or  who  may  wish  to  secure  a  lot  while  they 
attempt  further  discoveries, — lands  are  permitted  to  be  entered 
for  a  certain  number  of  days.  This  privilege,  however,  has  been 
frequently  abused.  Entries  have  been  made  for  the  sum  of  six- 
teen dollars,  (one  twentieth  of  the  purchase  money,) — which  con- 
fers the  right  to  remove  within  forty  days,  every  valuable  timber 
tree  from  the  premises; and  if  no  other  purchaser  appears,  the  term 
is  even  lengthened  to  90  days. 

Last  winter  (1817-18)  from  five  to  ten  dollars  was  the  price  of 
Prairie  Lands,  and  from  two  to  five  the  price  oi  Wood  Lands. 


The  fertility  of  the  sandy  prairies  near  the  river  is  very  remark- 
able. If  lime  is  a  constituent  of  this  soil,  the  portion  must  be 
inconsiderable,  as  acids  produce  no  effervescence.  Neither  is  the 
vegetable  matter  in  much  quantity.  The  finer  parts  diminish  but 
little  in  the  fire,  and  are  changed  from  black  to  a  reddish  brown. 
Hence  the  fertilizing  principle  is  a  mineral  earth. 

The  idea  of  soils  perpetually  fertile,  was  not  original  with  H. 
Davy,  though  to  him  we  owe  the  first  scientific  view  of  the  sub- 
ject. Vegetable  matter  soon  dissipates,  but  the  primitive  earths 
are  imperishable;  and  if  my  conjecture  is  correct,  these  prairies 
will  be  sources  of  abundance  through  distant  ages.  A  field  was 
pointed  out,  to  me,  which  had  recently  been  enclosed  from  the 
commons  of  Vincennes,  and  which  produced  corn  of  extraordinary 
luxuriance.  From  the  nakedness  of  this  ground  it  is  evident 
that  a  vegetable  soil  would  soon  become  sterile. 

One  of  my  correspondents  remarks,  "We  have  a  prairie  below 


DAVID  THOMAS.  131 

this  place,  which  has  been  in  cultivation  seventy  or  eighty  years, 
and  now  produces  well." 

Lord  KAIMS  mentions  a  field  near  the  Clyde,  in  Scotland, 
which  had  annually  produced  a  crop  for  101  years,  and  still  retained 
its  fertility.  The  subjoined  extract  is  from  the  EDINBURGH 
ENCYCLOPEDIA.  "The  lands  of  St.  Jago,  [Chili]  though  constantly 
cultivated  for  two  centuries  and  a  half,  without  receiving  any 
artificial  manure,  have  suffered  no  diminution  in  their  amazing 
produce." 

Some  of  the  great  Bottom  of  the  Mississippi,  between  Kas- 
kaskia  and  Illinois,  "has  been  in  cultivation  120  years,  and  still 
no  deterioration  has  yet  manifested  itself."  BROWN'S  WESTERN 
GAZETTEER. 


"I  have  lately  visited  Fort  Harrison,  passing  upwards  from 
Vincennes  on  the  Illinois  side  of  the  river.  After  traversing  a  rich 
tract  of  woodland  four  miles,  I  went  five  miles  through  an  arm 
of  the  Grand  Prairie.  Much  of  this  is  too  low.  Fine  woodland, 
three  miles  wide,  separates  this  from  Ellison  Prairie,  which  is  a 
rich  tract,  seven  miles  long,  and  averaging  three  miles  in  width. 
Good  Woodland,  but  not  of  the  first  quality,  then  extends  thir- 
.  teen  miles  to  La  Motte  Prairie.  This  is  an  extraordinary  tract,  and 
is  eight  or  nine  miles  long.  I  then  passed  through  woodland 
of  a  good  quality  ten  miles  to  Union  Prairie,  on  which  York  village 
is  located.  Here  I  crossed  the  river  to  the  Indiana  side. 

"Fort  Harrison  Prairie  is  a  most  delightful  tract.  It  con- 
tains, perhaps,  22,000  acres,  including  the  woodland  lying  between 
it  and  the  Wabash.  This  woodland  is  very  fine,  and  on  an  inclined 
plane  from  the  prairie  to  the  bank  of  the  river — which  is  generally 
from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  high  for  several  miles.  The  wood- 
land on  the  east  of  this  prairie  is  an  elevated  tract  with  a  rich  soil. 
Springs  and  brooks  flowing  from  it,  are  numerous. 

"This  prairie  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Otter  Creek,  on  which 
Major  Markle  is  building  mills."  [W.  P.  B.]  These  have  since 
been  completed.  The  construction,  it  is  said,  is  uncommonly 
excellent;  and  that  the  saw  mills  are  capable  of  sawing  6,000  feet 
of  boards  in  one  day. 


"The  soil  of  the  prairies  is  excellent  for  both  corn  and  wheat. 
Of  the  latter,  the  crops  vary  from  twenty  to  forty  bushels  an 


132  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

acre;  and  of  the  former,  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  bushels.  Major 
Markle  for  rent  alone,  besides  what  he  raised  himself,  has  more 
than  3,  700  bushels  of  corn."  11  mo.  1817. 


The  country  will  be  more  healthy  when  levees  shall  be  raised 
across  the  bayous,  and  longitudinal  ditches  cut  in  particular  places. 
The  expense  of  forming  a  bank  six  feet  high  at  Otter  Creek, 
would  not  be  a  work  of  extraordinary  magnitude  for  an  individual; 
and  a  prairie  thirteen  miles  in  length  would  be  exempted  from 
inundation.  At  Honey  Creek,  the  same  remark  may  be  made  in 
respect  to  the  construction. 

Of  the  practicability  of  such  measures,  we  were  well  con- 
vinced, when  we  were  near  the  Wabash;  but  on  our  return,  at 
Franklinton,  we  saw  a  levee  which  had  been  raised  to  that  height 
by  the  scraper,  and  which  has  completely  rescued  a  valuable  tract 
from  the  river  floods. 

I  have  noted  that  ponds  appear  in  places  through  the  bayous. 
The  small  streams  which  are  lost  in  the  sands,  probably  after 
heavy  rains  supply  the  water;  and  the  expense  of  a  small  canal, 
which  would  render  the  lowest  parts  of  these  tracts  arable,  would 
be  a  slight  tax  for  the  neighbouring  inhabitants.  Indeed  the 
proprietors  themselves,  would  be  reimbursed  in  one  or  two  sea- 
sons for  such  expenditure. 

If  the  bayou  from  Otter  Creek  were  closed,  the  stream  which 
sweeps  through  Honey  Creek  Prairie  would  be  less  formidable. 
Where  two  such  currents  form  a  junction,  the  narrow  and  winding 
channel,  already  dammed  by  the  river,  is  insufficient  to  discharge 
the  accumulating  waters;  the  torrent  at  every  creek  receives  an 
accession  of  force,  and  spreads  the  inundation  still  wider  in  its 
progress  to  the  south. 


A  Post  office  has  lately  been  established  at  Honey  Creek,  two 
and  a  half  miles  south  of  the  old  ford  on  that  stream,  in  Range  9 
West,  Township  11  North,  Section  25. — Name,  Hoggatt's — M. 
HOGGATT,  Post  Master. 


Cant  phrases,  the  true  marks  of  a  defective  education,  are 
common  in  the  Western  Country. 

A  considerable  number  is  expressed  by  a  smart  chance;  and 


DAVID  THOMAS.  133 

our  hostess  at  Madison  said,  there  was  "a  smart  chance  of  yankees" 
in  that  village. 

Rolling  is  a  term  which  may  be  frequently  heard  in  conversa- 
tions relative  to  lands.  We  are  not  to  understand  by  this  word, 
a  turning  round,  but  a  diversified  surface. 

Slashes,  means  flat  clayey  land  which  retains  water  on  the  sur- 
face, after  showers.  From  this  comes  the  adjective,  slashy.  It 
is  in  comVnon  use,  and,  like  the-  word  chore  [corruption  of  chare] 
in  the  eastern  states,  is  almost  an  indispensable. 

Balance  is  another  word  which  is  twisted  from  its  proper 
meaning.  This  is  made  to  imply  the  remainder.  "The  balance 
(unappropriated  residue  of  land)  will  be  sold  at  auction." 


The  Cane,  which  once  overspreads  a  large  part  of  Kentucky,  is 
nearly  destroyed;  but  it  grows  abundantly  on  the  Wabash,  and 
extends  from  the  mouth  of  that  river  almost  to  Vincennes. 


The  iron-weed,  which  I  first  saw  above  Pittsburgh,  extends  on^ 
clayey  lands  all  the  way  to  the  Wabash.  It  is  a  pernicious  plant 
in  meadowrs. 


The  wret  Prairies  abound  with  the  fern-leaved  Helianthus, 
and  on  our  return,  we  saw  thousands  of  these  blossoms  turned  to 
the  sun. 


N.  EWING  had  six  kinds  of  exotic  grapes  in  his  garden,  which 
flourish;  and  though  receiving  little  attention,  were  finely  loaded 
with  fruit.  That  climate  is  congenial  to  the  vine.  Indeed  we 
believe  this  culture  will  become  very  profitable.  At  Harmony, 
fifty  miles  below  Vincennes,  wa  understood  that  twelve  acres  had 
already  been  planted  as  a  vineyard. 


Various  kinds  of  esculent  vegetables  are  taken  to  Vincennes  by 
the  SHAKERS,  nearly  two  weeks  earlier  than  such  can  be  raised  in  the 
wood-lands  round  that  town. 

Six  miles  west  of  the  French  Licks,  we  saw  the  semblance  of  a 
corn-stalk,  of  very  remote  antiquity,  which  was  found  in  that 
neighbourhood.  It  appeared  that  the  cavity  of  this  plant  (once 


134  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

occupied  by  the  pith)  was  filled  with  sand,  which  became  cemented 
by  ferruginous  matter.  The  impressions  of  the  nerves  were  very 
distinct.  It  had  been  nearly  two  feet  in  length,  and  was  raised  out 
of  the  earth  by  the  root  of  a  falling  tree. 


The  district  from  the  Knobs  to  the  east  branch  of  White  river, 
is  high  table  land;  and  apparently  composed  of  strata,  which  were 
deposited  on  this  part,  after  the  general  surface  of  the  Ohio  coun- 
try was  formed.  There  is  some  reason  to  believe,  however,  that 
parts  of  this  great  bank  were  removed  before  the  commencement 
of  petrification.  The  White  river  flows  round  it  on  the  north. 
When  we  ascended  these  heights  on  the  east,  we  were  in  constant 
expectation,  during  our  progress  for  some  miles,  of  descending  on 
the  western  side;  so  different  is  this  tract  from  any  we  had  ever 
traversed.  On  our  return  we  particularly  noticed  the  ascent  and 
descent  of  every  little  ridge,  and  could  discover  no  general  inclina- 
tion of  the  surface.  No  plain,  barren,  or  prairie,  is  found  within 
its  limits. 

We  are  assured  that  the  Knobs  do  not  appear  south  of  the  Ohio. 
The  sides  are  surprisingly  irregular.  On  a  north  course  from  Salem 
Meeting-house,  within  three  miles,  the  descent  appears;  but  on  an 
east  course,  the  distance  to  the  edge  is  computed  at  ten  miles. 
From  the  latter  spot,  beyond  the  winding  of  that  vale  to  the 
westward,  these  hills  extend  to  the  north-east  till  the  eye  is  bewild- 
ered with  the  prospect  in  the  distant  horizon. 

In  this  district,  petrifactions  are  numerous.  In  the  channel  of  a 
brook  I  found  the  semblance  of  a  perennial  rooted  herb,  in  which 
the  different  annual  growths  were  exhibited.  It  was  five  inches 
long  by  one  inch  in  thickness.  The  bark  of  the  root  appears  to 
have  been  the  mould,  as  the  internal  part  was  hollow,  or  filled  with 
chrystals.  The  rattles  of  a  snake,  remarkably  large,  had  also 
been  converted  into  stone. 

The  stalagmites,  or  dumpling  stone,  which  was  noticed  in  the 
DIARY,  appears  confined  to  this  region.  We  observed  it  near  the 
border,  but  not  on  tha  plains  below. 

From  the  singularity  of  its  figure,  from  its  cavity,  and  from  the 
numerous  petrifactions  in  this  vicinity,  I  could  scarcely  resist  the 
impression  that  the  fruit  of  some  species  of  Cueurbita  had  been  the 
model.  Other  considerations,  however,  would  be  unfavourable; 


DAVID  THOMAS.  135 

and  it  must  be  confessed  that  nature  has  performed  many  opera- 
tions in  Mineralogy,  which  continue  secrets. 
.  .  .In  the  eastern  parts  of  Indiana,  much  of  the  grain  for  bread 
is  ground  in  horse  mills.    I  have  learned  that  the  proprietor  of  the 
mill  finds  horses;  and  takes  for  toll,  one  fourth  of  the  wheat, 
and  one  sixth  of  the  corn  or  other  grain,  if  not  bolted.    The  float- 
ing mills  on  the  Ohio  river,  take  one  sixth  of  the  wheat  and  one 
eighth  of  the  corn. 
.  .  .  Notes  of  a  Journey  from  Fort  Harrison  to  Fort  Wayne. 

45  miles,  a  small  village  of  the  Miamis,  on  the  waters  of  Eel 
river. 

25  do.  the  second  Indian  town,  also  on  Eel  river. 

50  do.  to  Pipe  Creek.  Many  small  creeks  water  this  district, 
but  Pipe  Creek  is  a  considerable  stream,  and  famous  for  its  mill 
seats.  Much  of  these  lands  are  low  and  wet. 

8  do.  above  Pipe  Creek  is  the  Massasinaway  town  of  Indiana. 

It  is  at  the  junction  of  this  river  with  the  Wabash. 

50  do.  continuing  up  the  Wabash. 

13  do.  across  from  the  Lower  Portage  to  Fort  Wayne.  Here 
are  some  irregular  hill",  and  some  marshes. 

191  miles,  total  distance. 

. .  .  The  right  pronunciation  of  names  is  as  necessary  as  the  right 
pronunciation  of  words;  and  believing  that  many  of  our  untravelled 
readers  would  receive  it  favourably,  we  have  bestowed  some  atten- 
tion on  this  subject.  There  have  been  omissions,  however,  which 
we  will  supply  in  this  place. 

Wau-bash  is  the  common  pronunciation  on  that  river;  but 
in  this  country  we  frequently  hear  the  uncouth  sound  of  Way- 
bosh. 

Vincennes  is  pronounced  Vin-cenz  by  the  most  respectable 
persons  in  that  place. 

Pa-ra-rah  is  a  common  pronunciation;  but  it  is  too  great  a 
barbarism  to  be  tolerated.  By  placing  the  letters  in  this  manner, 
prai-rie,  the  proper  sounds  cannot  be  mistaken. 

In  Levee,  (an  embankment)  the  accent  is  sometimes  placed  on 
the  last  syllable.  It  should  be  lev-e. 


From  The  Western  Gazetteer;  or  Emigrant's  Directory,  by 
Samuel  R.  Brown  [1817],  pp.  37-80. 

BROWN,  SAMUEL  R. 

This  work,  like  several  others  of  a  similar  nature,  resulted  from  a  demand 
on  the  part  of  emigrants  for  a  History  and  Guide  of  the  western  Country.  It 
appeared  1817,  and  illustrates  the  ambitious  efforts  of  a  publisher  to  furnish 
detailed  information  on  every  section  of  the  region  lying  between  the  Alle- 
gheny and  Rocky  Mountains,  the  Lakes  and  the  Gulf.  In  the  space  of 
three  hundred  and  sixty  pages,  the  territory,  water  courses,  routes  of 
travel  and  climatic  conditions  comprised  within  one  thousand  millions 
of  acres  are  reviewed  in  detail. 

The  work  contains  fewer  errors  than  might  be  expected  in  such  a  gigantic 
undertaking.  An  excellent  map  accompanies  the  notes. 

INDIANA. 

Is  bounded  west  by  the  Wabash  river,  from  its  mouth  to  40 
miles  above  Vincennes,  and  thence  by  a  meridian  line  to  the  paral- 
lel of  the  south  end  of  lake  Michigan,  (supposed  to  be  in  N.  lat. 
41,  50.)  which  divides  it  from  Illinois  territory.  Its  northern 
limit  is  the  above  parallel,  which  separates  it  from  the  Michigan 
territory.  A  meridian  line  running  from  the  mouth  of  the  Big 
Miami,  until  it  intersects  the  aforesaid  parallel  of  the  south  end  of 
lake  Michigan,  divides  it  from  the  state  of  Ohio,  on  the  east. 
The  Ohio  river  forms  its  sourthern  boundary.  Length,  from 
north  to  south,  284  miles;  breadth,  from  east  to  west,  155  miles — 
contains  39,000  square  miles,  or  24,960,000  acres.  Its  form  would 
be  that  of  a  paralellogram,  were  the  course  of  the  Ohio  due  west. 

RIVERS,    LAKES. 

The  Ohio  washes  the  southern  border  of  Indiana,  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Big  Miami,  to  that  of  the  Wabash,  a  distance, 
measuring  its  windings,  of  472  miles — all  the  streams  which  inter- 
sect this  extensive  line  of  coast,  are  comparitively  short;  for  the 
southern  fork  of  White  river,  having  its  source  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  Ohio  boundary  line,  runs  nearly  parallel  with  Ohio,  at 
the  distance  of  from  forty  to  sixty  miles.  The  principal  of  these 
enter  the  Ohio  in  the  order  named: 

Tanner's  Creek— Two  miles  below  Lawrenceburgh,  thirty  miles 
long;  thirty  yards  wide  at  its  mouth — heads  in  the  Flat  woods  to 
the  south  of  Brookville. 

Loughery's  Creek — Fifty  yards  wide  at  its  mouth,  and  forty 

(136) 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  137 

miles  long,  is  the  next  stream  worthy  of  mention,  below  the  Big 
Miami,  from  which  it  is  distant  eleven  miles. 

Indian  Creek — Sometimes  qalled  Indian  Kentucky,  and  by  the 
Swiss  Venoge,  after  a  small  river  in  the  Pays  de  Vaud  (Switzer- 
land) constitutes  the  southern  limit  of  the  Swiss  settlement, 
eight  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky  river.  It  rises  in 
the  hills  near  the  south  fork  of  White  River,  45  miles  north  east  of 
Vevay. 

Wyandot  creek,  heads  in  the  range  of  hills  extending  in  a  trans- 
verse direction,  from  near  the  mouth  of  Blue  river,  to  the  Muddy 
fork  of  White  River,  and  falls  into  the  Ohio  about  equidistant 
from  the  falls  and  Blue  river. 

Big  Blue  River,  heads  still  further  north;  but  near  the  south 
fork  of  White  river.  After  running  fifty  miles  southwest,  it  inclines 
to  the  east  of  south,  and  enters  the  Ohio  32  miles  below  the  mouth 
of  Salt  river,  from  the  south.  Its  name  indicates  the  colour  of  its 
water,  which  is  of  a  clear  blueish  cast;  but  in  quality  pure  and 
healthful. 

Little  Blue  River  empties  into  the  Ohio  13  miles  below  the  mouth 
of  Big  Blue  River — it  is1  about  forty  yards  wide  at  its  mouth — 
its  course  is  from  north  east  to  south  west.  Ten  miles  below  is 
Sinking  creek,  fifty  yards  \vide  at  its  mouth. 

Anderson's  river,  sixty  miles  farther  down,  is  the  most  consid- 
erable stream  between  Blue  river  and  the  Wabash.  Below  this, 
are  Pegion  and  Beaver  creeks.  In  addition  to  the  preceding  creeks 
and  rivers,  a  large  number  of  respectable  creeks  and  runs  also  enter 
the  Ohio,  at  different  points  between  the  Miami  and  the  Wabash, 
so  that  that  part  of  Indiana,  lying  between  White  riVer  and  the 
Ohio,  may  be  pronounced  well  watered.  It  is  the  character  of 
most  of  the  foregoing  streams,  to  possess  a  brisk  current  and  pure 
water;  the  consequence  is,  an  abundance  of  convenient  mill 
seats,  and  a  salubrious  and  healthful  climate. 

The  Wabash  waters  the  central  and  western  parts  of  the  state. 
The  main  branch  of  this  fine  river,  heads  two  miles  east  of  old 
fort  St.  Mary's  and  intersects  the  portage  road  between  Loramie 
creek  and  the  river  St.  Mary's,  in  Darke  County,  Ohio.  There 
are  three  other  branches,  all  winding  through  a  rich  and  extensive 
country.  The  first,  called  Little  river,  heads  seven  miles  south  of 
fort  Wayne,  and  enters  the  Wabash,  about  eighty  miles  below  the 
St.  Mary's  portage.  The  second  is  the  Massasinway,  which  heads 
in  Darke  county,  Ohio,  about  half  way  between  forts  Green- 
ville and  Recovery,  and  unites  with  the  others,  5  miles  below 


138  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  mouth  of  Little  river.  The  third  is  Eel  river,  which  issues  from 
several  lakes  and  ponds,  eighteen  miles  west  of  fort  Wayne;  it 
enters  the  Wabash,  eight  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Mas&issin- 
way.  From  the  entrance  of  Eel  river,  the  general  course  of  the 
Wabash  is  about  ten  degrees  south  of  west,  to  the  mouth  of  Rejoic- 
ing river,  (85  miles)  where  it  takes  a  southern  direction,  to  the 
mouth  of  Rocky  river  (forty  miles) — here  it  inclines  to  the  west, 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Mascontin,  (thirty-six  miles)- — where  it  pur- 
sues a  south  eastern  course,  to  Vincennes,  (fifty  miles) — from  this 
town  to  the  Ohio, its  general  course  is  south,  (one hundred  miles). 
It  is  three  hundred  yards  wide  at  its  mouth,  and  enters  the  Ohio 
at  right  angles.  Its  length,  from  its  mouth  to  its  extreme  source, 
exceeds  five  hundred  miles.  It  is  nevigable  for  keel  boats,  about 
four  hundred  miles,  to  Ouitanon,  where  there  are  rapids.  From 
this  village  small  boats  can  go  to  within  six  miles  of  St.  Mary's 
river;  ten  of  fort  Wayne;  and  eight  of  the  St.  Josephs  of  the 
Miami-of-the-lakes.  Its  current  is  generally  gentle  above  Vin- 
cennes— below  thie  town  there  are  several  rapids;  but  not  of  suffi- 
cient magnitude  to  prevent  boats  from  ascending.  The  prin- 
cipal rapids  are  between  Deche  and  White  rivers,  ten  miles  below 
Vincennes. 

The  tributary  waters,  which  enter  from  the  left  bank  of  the 
Wabash,  and  which  are  called  rivers,  are: 

1.  The  Petoka,  from  the  north  east,  comes  in  twenty  miles 
below  Vincennes;  it  heads  a  few  miles  south  east  of  the  Muddy 
fork  of  White  river,  with  which  it  runs  parallel,  at  the  distance  of 
10  or  12  miles.     It  is  about  seventy-five  miles  in  length,  and 
meanders  through  extensive  rich  bottoms. 

2.  White  River  enters  four  miles  above  the  Petoka,  and  six- 
teen below  Vincennes.     This  is  an  important  river,  as  it  reaches 
nearly  across  the  state,  in  a  diagonal  direction,  watering  a  vast 
body  of  rich  land— thirty-five  miles  from  its  mouth  there  is  a  junc- 
tion of  the  two  principal  forks — the  North  or  Drift  wood  Branch, 
interlocks  with  the  north  fork  of  Whitewater,  and  with  the  branches 
of  Still  water,  a  tributary  of  the  Big  Miami.    The  south  or  Muddy 
fork  heads  between  the  bras^^s  of  the  west  fork  of  Whitewater. 
The  country  between  the  two  main  forks  of  Whiteriver  is  watered 
by  the  Teakettle  branch,  which  unites  with  the  north  fork,  twenty 
miles  above  the  junction  of  the  two  principal  forks. 

3.  Deche  river,   unites  with  the   Wabash,   about  half  way 
between  Vincennes  and  the  mouth  of  Whiteriver — it  comes  from 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  139 

the  north  east — is  a  crooked,  short  stream,  but  receives  several 
creeks. 

4.  Little  river,  called  by  the  French  Le  Petite  Reviere,  winds  its 
devious  course,  from  the  north  east,  among  wide  spreading  bot- 
toms, and  enters  its  estuary  a  little  above  Vincennes.     Between 
this  river  and  the  Wabash  lies  an  alluvion  of  several  thousand 
acres,  uniformly  bDttom,  of  exhaustless  fertility. 

5.  The  St.   Marie,   from  north  east,   enters  eighteen   miles 
above  Vincennes,  and  is  about  fifty  miles  long. 

6.  Rocky  river,  sixty  miles  further  up,  comes  in  from  the  east, 
and  interweaves  its  branches  with  those  of  the  Main  fork  of  White 
river.    It  is  one  hundred  yards  wide  at  its  mouth,  and  has  several 
large  forks. 

7.  Petite,  or  Little  river,  is  the  only  river  entering  from  the 
left,  for  seventy  miles  abpve  Rocky  river.  It  comes  from  the  south 
east,  and  heads  near  the  sources  of  Rocky  river. 

8.  Pomme  river  comes  in  from  the  south  east — forty  miles 
higher  up,  and  twenty  miles  below  the  mouth  of  Massissinway. 
It  rises  near  the  Ohio  boundary,  a  little  to  the  north  of  the  head 
branches  of  Whitewater.     Besides  the  rivers  above  enumerated, 
which  water  the  left  bank  of  the  Wabash,  there  are  an  immense 
number  of  creeks  and  runs,  affording,  in  most  places  a  sufficient 
supply  of  water.    But  there  are  pretty  extensive  districts  between 
the  Little  and  Rocky  rivers,  where  water  cannot  be  readily  procured. 

The  right  or  north  west  bank  of  the  W^abaoh,  receives  a  greater 
number  of  rivers  than  the  left.  Crossing  this  noble  stream,  at 
the  mouth  of  Pomme  river,  and  descending  upon  its  right  shore, 
the  first  considerable  water  that  obstructs  our  progress,  is 
Richard's  creek,  from  the  north  west — ten  miles  belo\v .  Ten  miles 
farther  enters  Rock  river,  from  the  north  west — its  banks  are  high, 
and  the  country  around  it  broken. 

Eight  miles  farther  down,  is  the  Tippacanoe,  rendered  famous 
by  the  battle  upon  its  banks,  between  the  Americans  and  Indians, 
in  Nov.  1811.  This  river  heads  about  thirty  miles  to  the  West  of 
fort  Wayne.  Several  of  its  branches  issue  from  lakes,  swamps,  and 
ponds,  some  of  which  have  double  outlets,  running  into  the  St. 
Josephs  of  the  Miami-of-the-Lakcs.  Upon  this  stream,  and  on 
the  Wabash,  above  and  below  its  junction,  are  Indian  villages,  and 
extensive  fields.  Two  Indian  roads,  leave  these  towns  for  the 
northern  lakes — one  ascends  the  right  bank  of  the  Wabash,  to 
Ouitanan  and  fort  Wayne;  the  other  as2ends  the  Tippacanoe,  and 


140  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

crosses  the  head  branches  of  the  Illinois,  to  the  St.  Joseph  of  lake 
Michigan. 

From  the  mouth  of  Tippecanoe,  we  successively  pass  Pine, 
and  Redwood  creeks;  Rejoicing,  or  Vermillion  Jaune,  Little  Ver- 
million,  Erabliere,  Duchat  and  Brouette  rivers,  at  the  distance  of 
from  ten  to  fifteen  miles  from  each  other,  and  all  coming  from  the 
west  or  north  west;  mostly  small,  and  having  their  heads  in  the 
Illinois  territory. 

Whitewater,  rises  near  the  eastern  boundary  line,  twelve  miles 
west  of  fort  Greenville,  and  nearly  parallel  with  this  line,  at  the 
distance  of  from  six  to  ten  miles,  and  watering  in  its  progress, 
twenty-two  townships,  in  Wayne,  Franklin,  and  Dearborn  coun- 
ties. At  Brookville,  thirty  miles  from  its  entrance  into  the  Miami, 
it  receives  the  West  fork,  which  heads  into  the  Flat  woods,  thirty 
miles  west  of  that  village,  and  interlocks  with  the  branches  of 
White  river.  This  beautiful  little  river  waters  nearly  one  million 
of  acres  of  fine  land,  and  owes  its  name  to  the  unusual  transpar- 
ency of  its  water.  A  fish  or  a  pebble  can  be  seen  at  the  depth  of 
twenty  feet.  It  is  sufficiently  cool  for  drinking  during  summer. 
The  inhabitants  living  upon  its  banks,  contend  that  its  water  is 
less  buoyant  than  that 'of  any  other  river;  and  endeavored  to  dis- 
suade me  from  bathing  in  it.  I  nevertheless,  swam  several 
times  across  the  stream,  where  it  was  one  hundred  yards  wide; 
and.  although  an  experienced  swimmer,  was  not  a  little  fatigued  by 
the  exercise.  But  I  ascribed  the  effect  to  the  coldness  rather  than 
to  any  extraordinary  buoyancy  of  the  water. 

One  of  the  eastern  branches  of  this  river,  heads  six  miles  east 
of  the  state  line,  in  the  State  of  Ohio;  and  Greenville  creek,  a 
tributary  of  the  Stillwater  fork  of  the  Big  Miami,  heads  about  the 
same  distance  within  the  state  of  Indiana. 

The  north  eastern  part  of  the  state  is  watered  by  the  St.  Josephs 
of  the  Miami-of-the-lakes,  and  its  tributaries — this  river  heads 
about  sixty  miles  to  the  north  west  of  fort  Wayne,  and  forms  a 
junction  with  the  St.  Mary's,  just  above  this  post.  Panther's 
creek,  from  the  south,  is  its  largest  fork.  Its  remote  branches 
interlock  with  those  of  the  rivers  Raisin,  Black,  St.  Josephs  of 
lake  Michigan,  and  Eel  river. 

That  part  of  the  state  bordering  on  the  Michigan  territory,  is 
liberally  watered  by  the  head  branches  of  the  river  Raisin,  (of 
lake  Erie;)  the  numerous  forks  of  Black  river,  (of  lake  Michigan;) 
and  the  St.  Josephs  of  lake  Michigan — the  latter  heads  near,  and 


SAMUEL  R.  BBOWN.  141 

interlocks  with  the  branches  of  Eel  river;  and  pursues  a  serpentine 
course,  seventy  miles,  through  the  northern  part  of  Indiana. 

The  river  Chemin,  Big  and  Little  Kennomic,  all  of  which  fall 
into  Lake  Michigan;  the  Theakaki,  Kickapoo,  and  a  part  of  the 
chief  branch  of  the  Illinois,  all  wind  through  the  north  western 
section  of  the  state;  and  all,  except  the  last,  are  entirely  within  its 
boundaries;  the  three  first  run  from  south  to  north;  the  latter 
south  and  south  west.  Besides,  the  country  is  chequered  by  num- 
erous creeks.  The  Vermillion  of  the  Illinois  rises  in  Indiana,  near 
the  sources  of  Tippacanoe. 

The  northern  half  of  the  state  is  a  country  of  lakes — 38  of 
which,  from  two  to  ten  miles  in  length,  are  delineated  on  the  latest 
maps;  but  the  actual  number  probably  exceeds  one  hundred — 
many  of  these,  however,  are  mere  ponds,  less  than  one  mile  in 
length.  Some  have  two  distinct  outlets;  one  running  into  the 
northern  lakes;  the  other  into  the  Mississippi. 

The  phenomenon  of  waters  with  double  outlets,  is  not  uncom- 
mon. The  great  Ganges,  the  greater  Burrumpooter,  and  the  great 
river  of  Ava,  all  rise  and  issue  from  the  same  fountain — so  do  the 
Rhine  and  the  Rhone;  the  Suir,  the  Nore,  and  the  Barrow,  in 
Ireland,  «pring  from  the  same  well — and  after  traversing  a  vast 
range  of  country,  in  three  opposite  direction^,  re-unite  and  form 
one  basin,  in  Waterford  Harbor;  there  are  two  rivers  in  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  whose  head  waters  are  not  farther  apart  than 
the  Ouisconsin  and  Fox  river;  one  stretches  into  the  southern 
ocean;  the  other  into  the  Mexican  sea. 

The  greater  part  of  these  lakes,  are  situated  between  the  head 
waters  of  the  two  St.  Josephs,  Black  river,  Raisin,  Tippacanoe,  and 
Eel  rivers. 

ASPECT  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

A  range  of  hills,  called  the  knobs,  extends  from  the  falls  of  the 
Ohio,  to  the  Wabash,  nearly  in  a  south  western  direction,  which, 
in  many  places,  produces  a  broken  and  uneven  surface.  North  of 
these  hills,  lie  the  Flat  woods,  seventy  miles  wide  and  reaching 
nearly  to  the  Ouitanan  country.  Bordering  all  the  principal 
streams,  except  the  Ohio,  there  are  strips  of  bottom  and  prairie 
land;  both  together  are  from  three  to  six  miles  in  width.  Between 
the  Wabash  and  lake  Michigan,  the  country  is  mostly  champaign, 
abounding  alternately,  with  wood  lands,  prairies,  lakes,  and 
swamps. 

A  range  of  hills  run  parallel  with  the  Ohio,  from  the  mouth 


142  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

of  the  Big  Miami,  to  Blue  river,  alternately  approaching  to 
within  a  few  rods,  and  receding  to  the  distance  of  two  miles,  but 
broken  at  short  intervals  by  numerous  creeks.  Immediately 
below  Blue  river,  the  hills  disappear,  and  the  horizon  presents 
nothing  to  view  but  an  immense  tract  of  level  land,  covered  with  a 
heavy  growth  of  timber. 

That  part  of  the  state  lying  west  of  the  Ohio  boundary  line, 
north  of  the  head  branches  of  White  river,  east  and  south  of  the 
Wabash,  has  been  described  by  the  conductors  of  expeditions 
against  the  Indians,  as  a  "country  containing  much  good  land;  but 
intersected  at  the  distance  of  four  or  six  miles,  with  long,  narrow 
swamps,  boggy  and  mirey,  the  soil  of  which  is  a  stiff  blue  clay." 

North  of  the  Wabash,  between  Tippacanoe  and  Ouitanan, 
the  banks  of  the  streams  are  high,  abrupt,  and  broken — and  the 
land  well  timbered,  except  on  the  prairies. 

Between  the  Plein  and  Theakaki,  the  country  is  flat,  wet,  and 
swampy,  interspersed  with  prairies  of  an  inferior  quality  of  soil. 

In  going  from  the  Ohio  to  the  Wabash,  say  from  Clark's  ville 
or  Madison  to  Vincennes,  you  ascend  from  two  to  three  hundred 
feet  before  you  find  yourself  at  the  top  of  the  last  bank  of  the 
Ohio.  You  have  then  before  you  a  strip  of  country,  twenty  miles 
wide,  tolerably  level,  except  where  gullied  by  the  actions  of 
streams.  This  brings  you  at  the  foot  of  the  "Knobs,"  which  are  at 
least  500  feet  higher  than  the  land  in  your  rear;  after  this  you  pass 
no  very  tedious  hills,  until  you  find  yourself  within  three  miles  of 
Vincennes.  In  travelling  from  this  plac3  to  the  Ohio,  you  are  not 
sensible  of  ascending  to  the  height  at  which  you  find  yourself,  on 
the  summit  of  the  "Knobs,"  from  which  you  have  a-  boundless 
prospect  to  the  east.  You  can  distinctly  trace,  with  the  eye,  at  the 
distance  of  twenty  miles,  the  deep,  serpentine  vale  of  the  Ohio, 
and  the  positions  of  New-Lexington,  Corydon,  and  Louisville,  in 

Kentucky. 

I 

PRAIRIES. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  these  meadows — the  river  and  upland 
prairies:  the  first  are  found  upon  the  margins  of  rivers,  and  are 
bottoms  destitute  of  timber;  most  of  these  exhibit  vestiges  of  former 
cultivation.  The  last  are  plains,  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  feet 
higher  than  the  alluvial  bottoms;  and  are  far  more  numerous 
and  extensive;  but  are  indeterminate  in  size  and  figure — since 
some  are  not  larger  than  a  common  field,  while  others  expand 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  eye,  or  the  limits  of  the  horizon.  They  are 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  143 

usually  bounded  by  groves  of  lofty  forest  trees;  and  not  unfre- 
quently  adorned  with  "islands,"  or  copses  of  small  trees,  afford- 
ing an  agreeable  shade  for  man  and  beast.  In  spring  and  summer 
they  are  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  grass,  and  fragrant 
flowers,  from  six  to  eight  feet  high,  through  which  it  is  very  fati- 
guing to  force  one's  way  with  any  degree  of  celerity.  The  soil  of 
these  plains  is  often  as  deep  and  as  fertile  as  the  best  bottoms. 
The  prairies  bordering  the  Wabash,  are  particularly  rich — 
wells  have  been  sunk  in  them,  where  the  vegetable  soil  was  twenty- 
two  feet  deep,  under  which  was  a  stratum  of  fine  white  sand,  con- 
taining horizontal  lines,  plainly  indicating  to  the  geologist,  the 
gradual  subsidence  of  water.  Yet  the  ordinary  depth  is  from  two 
to  five  feet. 

The  several  expeditions  against  the  Indians,  during  the 
late  war,  enabled  many  of  our  officers,  to  become  extensively 
acquainted  with  the  geography  of  the  Indiana  and  Michigan 
territories. 

An  officer,  who  conducted  several  expeditions  against  the 
Indians,  and  who  was  at  the  Putawatomie  villages,  on  the  St. 
Joseph's  of  lake  Michigan,  writes  to  me  as  follows: 

"The  country  [between  fort  Wayne  and  the  St.  Joseph's  of 
lake  Michigan]  in  every  direction,  is  beautiful,  presenting  a  fine 
prospect.  There  are  no  hills  to  be  seen;  a  champaign  country, 
the  greater  part  prairie,  affording  inexhaustible  grazing,  and  pre- 
senting the  most  delightful  natural  meadows,  and  the  grass  cured 
would  be  almost  equal  to  our  hay;  there  are  also,  vast  forests  of 
valuable  timber,  and  the  soil  exceedingly  rich.  The  rivers  have 
their  sources  in  swamps,  and  sometimes  form  delightful  inland 
lakes.  It  is  not  unfrequent  to  see  two  opposite  streams  supplied 
by  the  same  water  or  lake,  one  running  into  the  waters  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  the  other  into  the  northern  lakes.  Neither  China 
nor  Holland  ever  had  such  natural  advantages  for  inland  water 
communications." 

Another  officer,  who  had  opportunities  of  seeing  and  exploring 
the  country  between  the  Wabash  and  lake  Michigan,  describes  it 
as  a  country,  "admirably  calculated  for  the  convenience  of  inland 
navigation.  The  sources  of  the  rivers  are  invariably  in  swamps  or 
lakes,  and  the  country  around  them  perfectly  level.  A.  trifling 
expence  would  open  a  navigable  communication  between  Eel 
river,  and  a  branch  of  the  Little  St.  Joseph's;  the  two  St.  Joseph's; 
the  Raisin  of  lake  Erie,  and  the  Lenoir  (Black  river)  of  lake  Mich- 
igan. Small  lakes  are  discovered  in  every  part  of  this  extensive 


144  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

and  romantic  country.  We  found  them  covered  with  ducks,  and 
other  water  fowls.  For  the  diversion  of  fishing,  we  had  no  leisure; 
consequently,  I  am  not  able  to  inform  you  whether  they  abound 
with  fish,  but  presume  they  do,  as  many  of  their  outlets  empty 
into  the  tributaries  of  the  great  lakes. 

"The  country  around  the  head  branches  of  Eel  river, 
Panther's  creek,  and  St.  Joseph's,  (of  the  Miami)1  is  generally  low 
and  swampy ;  and  too  wet  for  cultivation.  But  even  in  that  quarter 
there  are  many  beautiful  situations.  The  timber  is  oak,  hickory, 
black  walnut,  beach,  sugar  maple,  elm,  and  honey  locust.  The 
wood  lands  line  the  water  courses;  but  branch  out  frequently  into 
the  prairies. 

"The  immense  prairies  on  the  south  bank  of  the  St.  Josephs, 
(of  lake  Michigan)  afforded  us  many  rich,  beautiful,  and  pic- 
turesque views.  They  are  from  one  to  ten  miles  wide;  and  of 
unequal  lengths.  They  are  as  level  as  lakes;  and  in  point  of  fer- 
tility, not  inferior  to  the  lands  around  Lexington,  Ken.  or  the 
best  bottoms  of  the  Ohio. 

We  crossed  two,  whose  southern  limits  were  not  descernable 
to  the  naked  eye;  they  were  doubtless  capacious  enough  to  form 
two  or  three  townships  each;  and  perfectly  dry,  being  at  least  one 
hundred  feet  above  the  river  bottoms.  These  natural  meadows  are 
covered  with  a  tall  grass;  and  are  separated  by  strips  of  woods, 
containing  oak,  maple,  locust,  lyn,  poplar,  plum,  ash,  and  crab- 
apple.  In  these  wood  lands,  we  generally  meet  with  creeks,  runs 
or  springs ;  but  never  in  the  open  prairies,  unless  in  wet  and  rainy 
seasons,  when  the  waters  form  temporary  sluggish  brooks,  where- 
ever  there  is  sufficient  descent  for  the  purpose. 

"The  St.  Josephs  [of  lake  Michigan]  is  a  charming  river,  and 
navigable  to  within  a  short  distance  of  the  river  of  the  same 
name.  Its  current  is  brisk,  and  at  the  upper  villages,  one  hundred 
yards  wide.  The  Indians  have  cleared  large  fields  upon  its  banks: 
several  Canadian  French  families  reside  with  them.  Their  man- 
ners and  habits  of  life  are  semi-savage. 

"All  the  rivers  in  the  interior  of  Indiana  and  Michigan,  have 
spacious  bottoms,  and  they  uniformly  wander  from  the  line 
of  their  courses,  so  that  in  making  fifty  miles  progress,  in  a  direct 
line,  they  water  one  hundred  miles  of  territory  by  their  sinuosi- 
ties. By  these  frequent  bends,  the  length  of  river  coast,  and  the 


1.     Maumee. 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  145 

quantity  of  bottom  land  is  nearly  doubled,  which  amply  compen- 
sates for  extra  toil  and  expence  of  navigation." 

Mr.  D.  Buck,  of  Auburn,  (N.  Y.)  who  assisted  in  the  survey  of 
twenty-two  townships,  six  miles  square  each,  writes  to  his  corre- 
spondent as  follows: 

I  have  seen  a  great  deal  of  excellent  land;  the  prairies  on  the 
Wabash  in  the  vicinity  of  fort  Harrison,  exceed  every  thing  for 
richness  of  soil  and  beauty  of  situation,  I  ever  beheld.  The 
prairies  are  from  one  to  five  miles  wide,  bordering  on  the  river,  and 
from  one  to  twelve  in  length;  the  streams  which  run  into  the 
Wabash,  divide  one  prairie  from  another;  on  these  streams  are 
strips  of  woods  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile  wide,  the  timber  of 
which  is  excellent;  the  soil  of  the  prairies  is  a  black  vegetable 
mould,  intermixed  with  fine  sand,  and  sometimes  gravel.  In 
choosing  a  situation  for  a  farm,  it  is  important  so  to  locate  a 
tract,  as  to  have  half  prairie  and  half  wood  land;  by  which  means 
you  will  have  a  plantation  cleared  to  your  hand. 

The  new  purchase  contains  one  hundred  and  twenty  townships, 
or  2,765,040,  acres.  The  lands  sell  very  high  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Fort  Harrison,  for  it  is  the  most  delightful  situation  for  a 
town  on  the  Wabash — the  soil  is  the  richest  of  any  in  the  state. 
This  will  undoubtedly  become  the  seat  of  a  new  county,  and  that 
at  no  remote  period.  The  fort  is  garrisoned  by  one  hundred  and 
fifty  riflemen,  of  the  regular  army,  under  the  command  of  Major 
Morgan.  There  are  six  families  living  in  log  cabins,  near  the  fort, 
who  improve  congress  lands.  They  have  been  here  five  years. 
Wherever  they  have  cultivated  the  ground,  it  produces  abun- 
dantly. Besides  these,  there  are  several  Indian  traders — Great 
numbers  of  Indians  resort  hither  to  sell  their  peltries.  The  tribes 
who  frequent  this  place  and  reside  on  the  Wabash,  are  the  Kick- 
apoos,  Miamis,  Putawatomies,  Shawanoese,  Weaws,  and  Del- 
awares.  They  encamp  in  the  woods  convenient  to  water,  where 
they  build  wigwams.  We  came  across  a  great  many  while  survey- 
ing in  the  wilderness — they  appeared  friendly,  and  offered  us 
honey  and  venison.  Our  business  has  principally  been  near  the 
Indian  boundary  line,  sixty  miles  from  any  white  settlements. 
The  woods  abound  with  deer,  bears,  wolves,  and  wild  turkies. 
About  three-eighths  of  the  land  we  surveyed  is  excellent  for  most 
kinds  of  produce;  the  remainder  is  good  for  grazing,  but  too  hilly, 
flat,  or  wet,  for  grain. 

The  lands  on  White  river  are  well  watered  with  springs  and 
brooks.  You  can  hardly  find  a  quarter  section  without  water; 
T — 10 


146  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  country  in  this  quarter  is,  in  many  places,  hilly  and  broken, 
and  in  some  parts  stony.  Limestone  is  most  predominant;  but 
there  are  quarries  of  free  stone.  Although  the  country  is  well 
watered,  good  mill  seats  are  scarce.  There  can  be  a  sufficiency 
of  small  mills  for  the  accommodation  of  the  inhabitants.  Steam 
mills,  without  doubt,  will  be  in  operation  as  soon  as  the  country 
is  sufficiently  settled  for  the  purpose  of  flouring  for  exportation. 

"There  are  some  excellent  tracts  of  land  in  Indiana  and  Ill- 
inois— corn  is  raised  pretty  easy;  and  stock  with  little  attention, 
and  in  some  places  with  little  or  no  fodder.  This  country  is  full 
of  prairies;  some  of  which  are  excellent  land.  The  timber  around 
them  consists  principally  oak,  of  which  the  inhabitants  make 
most  of  their  rails,  and  sometimes  draw  them  three  miles.  These 
prairies  are  destitute  of  water;  but  it  can  be  obtained  by  digging 
twenty  or  thirty  feet.  Wheat  grows  stout;  but  the  grain  is  not  so 
plump  as  it  is  in  the  state  of  New  York." 

"It  is  difficult  building  in  Knox  county,  and  always  will  be,  on 
account  of  the  scarcity  of  mill  seats.  Horse  mills  are  common; 
the  miller  takes  one  eighth  part  of  the  grain  for  toll;  customers  find- 
ing their  own  horses." 

He  further  states,  that  the  two  branches  of  Whiteriver  are 
navigable  with  boats  in  high  water  for  the  distance  of  130  miles; 
that  coal  mines  are  numerous  near  the  Wabash.  Iron  ore  is  found 
on  Whiteriver.  That  wheat  yields  the  inhabitants,  who  are  neat 
farmers,  68  Ibs.  a  bushel,  and  never  gets  winter-killed  or  smutty; 
the  only  difficulty  they  experience  in  its  culture  is,  that  the  land 
in  many  places  is  too  rich  until  it  has  been  improved.  Apple 
trees  bear  every  year.  Peaches  some  years  do  exceedingly  well; 
so  do  cherries,  currents,  and  most  kinds  of  fruit.  Wheat  is  75 
cents  a  bushel;  flour  $3  a  hundred — delivered  at  Fort  Harrison 
four;  corn  25  cents  a  bushel — pork  $4 — beef  $4;  butter  and  cheese 
from  12^  to  25  cents;  honey  50  cents  per  gallon.  Maple  sugar 
25  cents.  European  goods  exorbitantly  high. 

Reptiles  and  venomous  serpents  are  not  numerous.  A  few 
rattle  snakes  and  some  copperheads  comprise  all  that  are  danger- 
ous. 

The  banks  of  the  Wabash  are  in  many  places,  subject  to  be 
overflowed  in  high  water.  When  the  Ohio  is  at  full  height  its 
waters  set  back  and  inundate  the  bottoms  of  the  Wabash  to  the 
distance  of  four  or  five  miles. 

Mr.  Buck,  who  descended  this  river  in  March,  1816,  says,  "I 
came  down  the  river  at  the  highest  stage  of  water;  the  banks  were 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  147 

completely  overflowed  almost  all  the  way.  The  prairies  extend- 
ing to  the  river  appeared  like  small  seas;  and  in  many  places,  it 
was  with  difficulty  that  we  could  keep  our  boat  from  running  into 
the  woods.  The  distance  from  Fort  Harrison  to  Vincennes  by 
water,  is  120  miles;  by  land  only  65.  Below  the  fort  the  river  is 
very  crooked  to  its  mouth;  above,  as  far  as  the  Indian  title  is 
extinguished,  it  is  quite  strait  in  a  north  and  south  direction. 
The  breadth  of  the  river  (at  Vincennes)  is  from  40  to  70  rods.  It 
overflow's  its  banks  every  spring,  except  at  a  few  places  wrhere 
there  are  handsome  situations  for  towns.  It  inundates  a  consider- 
able extent  of  country  opposite  Vincennes.  The  floods  do  not  last 
long;  nor  are  they  dangerous,  if  people  will  use  a  little  precaution 
in  removing  their  stock  and  swine. 

"The  winters  are  mild,  compared  with  those  of  the  northern 
states.  By  all  accounts,  last  winter  was  uncommonly  severe  for 
this  country.  There  were  three  or  four  weeks  of  freezing  weather, 
during  which  the  snow  was  from  six  to  nine  inches  deep.  The 
Wabash  was  frozen  over  so  that  it  was  crossed  in  many  places 
upon  the  ice  with  safety.  I  think  that  autumnal  frosts  are  earlier 
here  than  in  the  western  counties  of  New  York;  but  the  weather  is 
very  fine  till  Christmas;  then  changeable  until  about  the  middle 
of  February,  when  winter  Breaks  up,  and  spring  soon  commences. 
Peaches  are  in  blossom  by  the  first  of  March,  and  by  the  10th  of 
April,  the  forests  are  "clad  in  green."  The  flowering  shrubs  and 
trees  are  in  full  bloom  some  days  before  the  leaves  get  their 
growth,  which  gives  the  wroods  a  very  beautiful  appearance." 

"Salt,  at  and  above  Vincennes  is  two  dollars  a  bushel,  though 
considerable  quantities  are  made  at  the  U.  S.  Saline  30  miles  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Wabash,  in  the  Illinois  territory,  where  it  is  sold 
for  one  dollar  a  bushel.  The  chief  supply  comes  from  the  salt 
wor  s  on  the  Great  Kenhaway. — There  have  been  salt  \vells  sunk, 
(by  boring)  near  the  Ohio,  to  the  depth  of  500  feet,  wrhere  the  water 
is  said  to  be  very  strong.  There  are  likewise  salt  springs  on  the 
Indian  lands,  not  far  from  the  northern  boundary  of  the  new 
purchase." 

POPULATION,    COUNTIES,    VILLAGES. 

Population  of  Indiana  in  November,  1815. 

Counties.  Xo.  of  Inhabitants. 

Wayne 6,290 

Franklin 7 ,970 

Dearborn 4,426 

Jefferson 4 ,093 


148  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Counties.  No.  of  Inhabitants. 

Washington 6,606 

Harrison 6,769 

Gibson 5,330 

Knox 6,800 

Switzerland 3,500 

Clark 7,000 

Posey 3,000 

Perry 3,000 

Warwick 3,000 


Total 68,784 

DEARBORN    COUNTY, 

Is  bounded  east  by  the  state  of  Ohio,  south  by  the  Ohio  river, 
west  by  Switzerland  county,  and  north  by  Franklin  county.  It  is 
well  watered  by  Tanner's  Hougelane's  and  Loughery's  creeks, 
Whitewater  and  the  head  branches  of  Indian  Kentucky.  The 
south  part  of  this  county  is  broken;  the  north  end  level,  being  in 
the  Flat  Woods.  The  Ohio  bottoms  are  low  but  fertile.  The 
timber  in  the  middle  and  northern  parts  is  oak,  hickory,  poplar, 
and  sugar  maple. 

Lawrenceburgh — Stands  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio,  two  miles 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Miami.  It  has  not  flourished  for  sev- 
eral years  past,  owing,  principally  to  its  being  subject  to  inunda- 
tion, when  the  Ohio  is  high.  A  new  town  called  Edinburgh,  half 
a  mile  from  the  river,  on  a  more  elevated  situation  promises  to 
eclypse  it. 

Rising  Sun — Is  delightfully  situated  on  the  second  bank  of  the 
Ohio,  with  a  gradual  descent  to  the  river.  It  contains  thirty  or 
forty  houses,  and  is  half  way  between  Vevay  and  Lawrenceburgh. 
It  has  a  post  office,  and  a  floating  mill  anchored  abreast  of  the 
town.  It  has  had  a  very  rapid  growth,  and  will  probably  become  a 
place  of  considerable  trade. 

FRANKLIN, 

Has  the  state  of  Ohio  on  the  east,  Dearborn  county  south  and 
Indian  lands  west  and  north.  It  is  one  of  the  best  counties  in  the 
state,  and  was  established  about  four  years  ago.  It  is  principally 
watered  by  Whitewater  and  its  branches,  upon  which  there  is 
some  of  the  best  bottom  lands  in  the  western  country  and  has  been 
the  centre  of  an  ancient  population,  as  is  proved  by  the  great 
number  of  mounds  and  fortifications,  to  be  seen  on  the  bottoms 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  149 

and  hills.  There  are  no  prairies  in  this  county.  Both  sides  of 
Whitewater,  from  its  mouth,  to  Brookville,  are  tolerably  well 
settled.  Here  are  some  of  the  finest  farms  to  be  met  with  in  the 
western  countrj'.  A  number  of  mills  have  been  erected.  The 
upland  is  pretty  level,  and  the  principal  timber  white  oak,  hickory 
and  black  walnut.  The  oak  trees  are  remarkably  tall  and  hand- 
some; and  well  suited  either  for  rails,  staves,  or  square  timber.  The 
soil  is  free  from  stones,  and  easily  cleared  and  ploughed;  producing 
fine  crops  of  wheat  and  corn.  In  July  last,  I  saw  several  corn- 
fields, which  in  the  preceding  March,  were  in  a  state  of  nature 
with  the  trees  and  brushwood  all  growing. 

Yet  the  corn  looked  as  flourishing  as  it  did  upon  the  bottoms. 
In  the  woods,  on  the  bottoms  ot  Whitewater,  I  discovered  several 
natural  wells,  formed  in  a  most  singular  manner.  They  were  from 
ten  to  fifteen  feet  deep,  substantially  curbed,  being  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  parts  of  the  upright  trunks  of  the  largest  sycamores, 
which  has  been  hollowed  out  by  the  hand  of  time.  To  explain: 
When  these  trees  were  in  their  infancy,  their  roots  spread  near  the 
surface  of  the  ground;  but  in  the  course  of  time,  successive  inun- 
dations and  the  annual  decay  of  a  luxuriant  vegetation,  have 
formed  a  stratum  of  the  richest  soil,  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  deep, 
over  the  roots  of  these  venerable  trees.  At  length  these  vegetable 
Mathusalems  die,  and  are  prostrated  by  the  winds  of  heaven, 
and  where  once  stood  a  tree  of  giant  growth,  now  yawns  a  well 
scooped  out  by  nature's  hand. 

Genseng  grows  in  the  bottoms  to  a  perfection  and  size,  I  never 
before  witnessed;  and  so  thick,  where  the  hogs  have  not  thinned 
it,  that  one  could  dig  a  bushel  in  a  very  short  time.  Upon  the 
spurs  of  the  hills,  and  the  poorest  soil,  is  found  the  wild  columbo 
root,  and  is  easily  procured  in  any  quantity.  There  are  two  vill- 
ages in  this  count}' — Brookville  and  Harrison. 

Brookville — Is  pleasantly  situated  in  the  forks  of  Wrhitewater, 
thirty  miles  north  of  Lawrenceburgh  and  the  Ohio  river;  twenty 
miles  south  of  Salisbury2 — about  forty-two  north  west  of  Cin- 
cinnati, and  twenty-five  from  Hamilton,  "It  was  laid  out  in  the 
year  1811;  but  no  improvements  were  made  until  the  succeeding 
year,  and  then  but  partially;  owing  to  the  unsettled  state  of  the 
frontiers,  and  its  vicinity  to  the  Indian  boundary,  being  not  more 
than  fifteen  miles.  The  late  war  completely  checked  the  emigra- 
tion to  the  country,  and  consequently  the  town  ceased  to  improve. 


2.     The  county  seat  of  Wayne  county  at  that  time. 


150  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  there  was  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve 
dwelling  houses  in  the  place;  but  since  that  period,  its  rapid  acces- 
sion of  wealth  and  population  has  been  unexampled  in  the  west- 
ern country. 

"There  are  now  in  the  town  upwards  of  eighty  buildings,  exclu- 
sive of  shops,  stables,  and  out  houses,  the  greater  number  of  which 
were  built  during  the  last  season.  The  buildings  are  generally 
frame,  and  a  great  part  of  them  handsomely  painted.  There  are 
within  the  precints  of  the  town,  one  grist  mill  and  two  saw  mills, 
two  fulling  mills,  three  carding  machines,  one  printing  office,* 
one  silversmith,  two  saddlers,  two  cabinet  makers,  one  hatter, 
two  taylors,  four  boot  and  shoemakers,  two  tanners  and  cur- 
riers, one  chairmaker,  one  cooper,  five  taverns  and  seven  stores. 
There  are  also  a  jail,  a  market  house,  and  a  handsome  brick  court 
house  nearly  finished. 

"The  ground  on  which  the  town  stands,  is  composed  of  a  rich 
and  sandy  loam,  covering  a  thin  stratum  of  clay,  underneath 
which  is  a  great  body  of  gravel  and  pebbles — consequently  the 
streets  are  but  seldom  muddy,  and  continue  so  but  for  a  short 
time.  The  public  square  and  a  great  part  of  the  town  stands 
on  a  beautiful  level,  that  is  elevated  between  eighty  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  river:  and,  in  short,  the  situation  of  the  town,  the 
cleanlines  of  the  streets,  the  purity  of  the  waters,  and  the  aspect 
of  the  country  around,  all  combine  to  render  it  one  of  the  most 
healthy  and  agreeable  situations  in  the  western  country. 

"There  are,  perhaps,  few  places  that  possess  equal  advantages, 
or  that  present  a  more  flattering  prospect  of  future  wealth  and 
importance  than  this.  As  a  situation  for  manufactories,  it  is 
unequalled;  the  two  branches  of  Whitewater  affording  a  con- 
tinued succession  of  the  best  sites  for  the  erection  of  water  works, 
from  their  junction  almost  to  their  sources,  and  many  valuable 
situations  may  be  found  below  the  town,  on  the  main  river. 

"The  country  watered  by  this  stream  is  inferior  to  none.  Along 
the  river  and  all  its  tributary  streams,  are  extensive  and  fertile 
bottoms,  bounded  by  hills  of  various  heights;  and  immediately 
from  the  top  of  these,  commences  a  level  and  rich  country,  tim- 
bered with  poplar,  walnut,  beech,  sugar  tree,  oak,  ash,  hickory, 
elm,  buckeye,  &c.  and  a  variety  of  shrubs  and  underbrush.  The 

*At  this  press  is  published  a  respectable  and  well  conducted  weekly  Journal,  en- 
titled '•'•The  Plain  Dealer,''''  edited  by  B.  F.  MORRIS,  Esq.  to  whose  pen  and  the  polite- 
ness of  N.  D.  GALLION,  Post  Master,  I  am  indebted  for  the  above  interesting  and 
correct  account  of  Brookville,  and  which  I  have  preferred  to  ray  own. 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  151 

soil  of  this  land  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  culture  of  small  grain, 
and  for  grazing.  The  last  harvest  produced  several  crops  of  wheat, 
in  the  neighborhood  of  this  place  that  weighed  from  sixty-five  to 
sixty-eight  pounds  per  bushel;  and  the  best  crops  of  grass  I  have 
ever  seen,  are  produced  without  the  aid  of  manure.  Corn,  oats, 
rye,  flax,  hemp,  sweet  and  Irish  potatoes,  &c.  &c.  are  produced  in 
abundance. 

"During  the  last  season,  1816,  many  successful  experiments 
were  made  in  rearing  tobacco,  and  the  soil  has  been  pronounced 
by  good  judges,  to  be  as  congenial  to  its  growth,  as  the  best  lands 
in  the  state  of  Virginia,  Kentucky,  or  the  Carolinas.  As  an  evi- 
dence of  the  fertility  of  the  country,  corn  and  oats  are  selling  at 
twenty-five,  rye  at  forty,  and  wheat  at  seventy-five  cents  per 
bushel,  beef  at  three  and  a  half,  and  pork  at  four  cents  per  pound. 
The  country  is  well  supplied  with  good  water,  from  a  great  num- 
ber of  springs,  and  water  may  also  be  obtained  in  almost  any  place 
by  digging  to  a  moderate  depth. 

"Another  source  from  which  this  town  must  eventually  derive 
great  importance,  is  the  ease  and  small  expence  with  which  the 
navigation  of  Whitewater,  from  the  junction  of  the  forks,  can  be 
so  far  improved  as  to  carry  out  into  the  Ohio,  all  articles  that  may 
be  raised  for  exportation. 

"To  the  north  and  north  west  of  this  place,  is  an  extensive  and 
fertile  country,  that  is  fast  growing  into  importance;  and  in  wealth 
and  population,  will  soon  be  inferior  to  but  few  districts  on  the 
waters  of  the  Ohio;  and,  owing  to  the  geographical  situation  of  the 
country,  all  the  intercourse  of  the  inhabitants  with  the  Ohio 
river,  must  be  through  this  place." 

I  was  at  Brookville  in  July  last,  on  business,  and  was  highly 
pleased  with  the  amenity  of  its  situation,  and  the  industry,  intelli- 
gence, and  healthful  appearance  of  the  inhabitants. — The  road 
from  thence  to  Harrison,  was  very  fine. 

Harrison. — This  village  is  situated  on  the  north  side  of  White- 
water, eight  miles  from  its  mouth,  eighteen  north  east  [south-east] 
of  Brookville,  and  in  the  centre  of  a  large  tract  of  some  of  the 
best  land  in  the  state.  More  than  one  half  of  the  village  stands 
on  the  Ohio  side  of  the  state  line.  There  are  about  thirty-five 
houses,  mostly  new.  A  considerable  number  of  the  inhabitants 
are  from  the  state  of  New  York.  Mr.  Looker,  from  Saratoga 
county,  Mr.  Crane,  from  Schenectady,  and  Mr.  Allen,  the  post 
master,  from  New  Jersey,  own  the  surrounding  lands.  They 
have  all  very  fine  and  valuable  farms,  worth  from  forty  to  sixty 


152  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

dollars  an  acre.  The  settlement  was  'commenced  about  sixteen 
years  ago.  The  bottoms  are  here  from  one  to  two  miles 
wide;  the  soil  remarkably  deep  and  rich,  and  the  woods  free 
from  brushwood.  The  trees  are  of  a  moderate  growth,  but 
straight  and  thrifty.  The  traces  of  ancient  population  cover 
the  earth  in  every  direction.  On  the  bottoms  are  a  great 
number  of  mounds,  very  unequal  in  point  of  age  and  size. 
The  small  ones  are  from  two  to  four  feet  above  the  surface, 
and  the  growth  of  timber  upon  them  small,  not  being  over 
one  hundred  years  old;  while  the  others  are  from  ten  to  thirty 
feet  high,  and  frequently  contain  trees  of  the  largest  diam- 
eters. Besides,  the  bones  found  in  the  small  ones  will  bear 
removal,  and  exposure  to  the  air,  while  those  in  the  large  ones  are 
rarely  capable  of  sustaining  their  own  weight;  and  are  often  found 
in-  a  decomposed  or  powdered  state.  There  is  a  large  mound  in 
Mr.  Allen's  field,  about  twenty  feet  high,  sixty  feet  in  diameter  at 
the  base,  which  contains  a  greater  proportion  of  bones,  than  any 
one  I  ever  before  examined,  as  almost  every  shovel  full  of  dirt 
would  contain  several  fragments  of  a  human  skeleton.  When  on 
Whitewater,  I  obtained  the  assistance  of  several  of  the  inhab- 
itants, for  the  purpose  of  making  a  thorough  examination  of  the 
internal  structure  of  these  monuments  of  the  ancient  populous- 
ness  of  the  country.  We  examined  from  fifteen  to  twenty.  In 
some,  whose  height  were  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet,  we  could  not  find 
more  than  four  or  five  skeletons.  In  one,  not  the  least  appear- 
ance of  a  human  bone  was  to  be  found.  Others  were  so  full  of 
bones,  as  to  warrent  the  belief,  that  they  originally  contained  at 
least  one  hundred  dead  bodies;  children  of  different  ages,  and  the 
full  grown,  appeared  to  have  been  piled  together  promiscuously. 
We  found  several  scull,  leg  and  thigh  bones,  which  plainly  indi- 
cated, that  their  possessors  were  men  of  gigantic  stature.  The 
scull  of  one  skeleton  was  one  fourth  of  an  inch  thick;  and  the  teeth 
remarkably  even,  sound  and  handsome,  all  firmly  planted.  The 
fore  teeth  were  very  deep,  and  not  so  wide  as  those  of  the  gen- 
erality of  white  people.  Indeed,  there  seemed  a  great  degree  of 
regularity  in  the  form  of  the  teeth,  in  all  the  mounds.  In  the 
progress  of  our  researches,  we  obtained  ample  testimony,  that 
these  masses  of  earth  were  formed  by  a  savage  people.  Yet,  doubt- 
less possessing  a  greater  degree  of  civilization  than  the  present 
race  of  Indians.  We  discovered  a  piece  of  glass  weighing  five 
ounces,  resembling  the  bottom  of  a  tumbler,  but  concave;  sev- 
eral stone  axes,  with  grooves  near  their  heads  to  receive  a  withe, 
which  unquestionably  served  as  helves;  arrows  formed  from  flint, 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  153 

almost  exactly  similar  to  those  in  use  among  the  present  Indians; 
several  pieces  of  earthen  ware;  some  appeared  to  be  parts  of  ves- 
sels holding  six  or  eight  gallons;  others  were  obviously  fragments 
of  jugs  jars,  and  cups;  some  were  plain,  while  others  were  curiously 
ornamented  with  figures  of  birds  and  beasts,  drawn  while  the  clay 
or  material  of  which  they  were  made  was  soft  and  before  the  pro- 
cess of  glazing  was  performed.  The  glazier's  art  appears  to  have 
been  well  understood  by  the  potters  who  manufactured  this 
aboriginal  crockery.  The  smaller  vessels  were  made  of  pounded  or 
pulverized  muscle  shells,  mixed  with  an  earthen  or  flinty  sub- 
stance, and  the  large  ones  of  clay  and  sand.  There  was  no  appear- 
ance of  iron;  one  of  the  sculls  was  found  pierced  by  an  arrow, 
which  was  still  sticking  in  it,  driven  about  half  way  through  before 
its  force  was  spent.  It  was  about  six  inches  long.  The  subjects 
of  this  mound  were  doubtless  killed  in  battle,  and  hastily  buried. 
In  digging  to  the  bottom  of  them  we  invariably  came  to  a  stratum 
of  ashes,  from  six  inches  to  two  feet  thick,  which  rests  on  the 
original  earth.  These  ashes  contain  coals,  fragments  of  brands, 
and  pieces  of  calcined  bones.  From  the  quantity  of  ashes  and  bones, 
and  the  appearance  of  the  earth  underneath,  it  is  evident  that  large 
fires  must  have  been  kept  burning  for  several  days  previous  to 
commencing  the  mound,  and  that  a  considerable  number  of  human 
victims  must  have  been  sacrificed,  by  burning,  on  the  spot!  Prison- 
ers of  war  were  no  doubt  selected  for  this  horrid  purpose.  Perhaps 
the  custom  of  the  age  rendered  it  a  signal  honor,  for  the  chief- 
tains and  most  active  worriors  to  be  interred,  by  way  of  triumph, 
on  the  ashes  of  their  enemies,  whom  they  had  vanquished  in  war. 
If  this  was  not  the  case,  the  mystery  can  only  be  solved  by  sup- 
posing that  the  fanaticism  of  the  priests  and  prophets  excited  their 
besotted  followers  to  voluntary  self-devotion.  The  soil  of  the 
mounds  is  always  different  from  that  of  the  immediately  surround- 
ing earth  being  uniformly  of  a  soft  vegetable  mould  or  loam, 
and  containing  no  stones  or  other  hard  substances,  to  "press  upon 
the  dead  and  disturb  their  repose." 

Almost  every  building  lot  in  Harrison  village  contains  a  small 
mound;  and  some  as  many  as  three.  On  the  neighboring  hills, 
north  east  of  the  town,  are  a  number  of  the  remains  of  stone  houses. 
They  were  covered  with  soil,  brush,  and  full  grown  trees.  We 
cleared  away  the  earth,  roots  and  rubbish  from  one  of  them, 
and  found  it  to  have  been  anciently  occupied  as  a  dwelling.  It 
was  about  twelve  feet  square;  the  walls  had  fallen  nearly  to  the 
foundation.  They  appeared  to  have  been  built  of  rough  stones, 


154  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

like  our  stone  walls.  Not  the  least  trace  of  any  iron  tools  having 
been  employed  to  smooth  the  face  of  them,  could  be  perceived. 
At  one  end  of  the  building,  we  came  to  a  regular  hearth,  contain- 
ing ashes  and  coals;  before  which  we  found  the  bones  of  eight 
persons  of  different  ages,  from  a  small  child  to  the  heads  of  the 
family.  The  positions  of  their  skeletons  clearly  indicated,  that 
their  deaths  were  sudden  and  simultaneous.  They  were  prob- 
ably asleep,  with  their  feet  towards  the  fire,  when  destroyed  by  an 
enemy,  an  earthquake,  or  pestilence. 

WAYNE. 

This  county  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  state  of  Ohio,  on  the 
south  by  the  county  of  Franklin,  on  the  west  and  north  by  Indian 
lands.  It  is  watered  by  the  north  fork  of  White-water,  the  head 
brooks  of  the  north  fork  of  Whiteriver,  sources  of  Rocky  river, 
Massissinway,  and  main  branch  of  the  Wabash.  It  is  very  exten- 
sive, of  a  level  surface,  well  timbered,  contains  fine  lands,  and  has 
been  settled  ten  years.  Its  products  are,  Indian  corn,  wheat, 
rye,  oats,  and  tobacco. 

Salisbury. — Lies  thirty  miles  north  of  Brookville;  contains 
about  thirty  five  houses,  two  stores  and  two  taverns.  It  is  at 
present  the  seat  of  justice  for  Wayne  county;  but  Centerville,  a 
new  village,  being  more  central,  threatens  to  become  its  competitor 
for  that  privilege. 

SWITZERLAND, 

Is  bounded  west  by  Jefferson,  south  by  the  Ohio  river,  north  in 
part  by  Indian  lands,  and  east  by  Dearborn  county.  Its  surface  is, 
in  some  places,  broken  by  the  Ohio  and  Silver  creek  hills,  which, 
however,  are  of  a  pretty  good  soil.  It  is  watered  by  Venoge  and 
Plum  creeks,  and  several  small  runs;  some  running  into  the  Ohio, 
and  others  into  Whiteriver. 

New  Switzerland. — The  settlement  of  New  Switzerland  was 
commenced  by  a  few  emigrants,  from  the  Pays  de  Vaud,  in  the 
spring  of  1805.  It  extends  from  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile 
above  the  mouth  of  Plum  creek,  down  the  river  to  the  mouth  of 
Indian  creek,  now  called  Venoge;  a  distance  of  about  four 
miles  and  a  half,  fronting  the  river,  and  originally  extended  back 
far  enough  to  cover  3,700  acres  of  land;  about  half  of  which  was 
purchased  under  a  law  in  favor  of  J.  J.  Dufour,  and  his  associates, 
upon  a  credit  of  twelve  years.  Subsequent  purchases  have  been 
made  on  the  usual  terms,  excepting  an  extension  of  credit,  in  order 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  155 

to  encourage  the  cultivation  of  the  vine.  There  has  been  a  gradual 
accession  of  numbers  to  this  interesting  colony.  As  early  as  1810, 
they  had  eight  acres  of  vineyard,  from  which  they  made  2,400 
gallons  of  svine,  which,  in  its  crude  state,  was  thought  by  good 
judges,  to  be  superior  to  the  claret  of  Bordeaux.  A  part  of  this 
wine  was  made  out  of  the  Madeira  grape.  They  have  now  greatly 
augmented  the  quantity  of  their  vineyard  grounds,  which,  when 
bearing,  present  to  the  eye  of  the  observer  the  most  interesting, 
agricultural  prospect,  perhaps,  ever  witnessed  in  the  United  States. 
The  principal  proprietors  of  the  vineyards,  are  the  Messrs.  Du- 
fours,  Bettens,  Morerod,  Siebenthal.  Mr.  J.  J.  Dufour  arrived 
from  Switzerland  in  September  last,  with  a  large  number  of  emi- 
grants. The  Swiss  speak  the  French  language  in  its  purity;  and 
are  a  temperate,  industrious  and  polished  people,  fond  of  music 
and  dancing,  and  warmly  attached  to  the  United  States. 
They  are  rapidly  extending  their  vineyards;  they  also 
cultivate  Indian  corn,  wheat,  potatoes,  hemp,  flax,  and  other 
articles  necessary  to  farmers — but  in  quantities  barely  sufficient 
for  domestic  use.  Some  of  their  women  manufacture  straw  hats. 
They  are  made  quite  different  from  the  common  straw  bonnets, 
by  tying  the  straws  together,  instead  of  plaiting  and  sewing  the 
plaits.  They  are  sold  in  great  numbers  in  the  neighboring  settle- 
ments, and  in  the  Mississippi  and  Indiana  territories. 

Vevay. — Half  a  mile  above  the  upper  vineyards,  was  laid  out  in 
1813,  but  was  a  forest  in  1814,  till  the  first  of  February,  when  the 
first  house  was  built. 

During  the  same  year  forty  four  others,  four  stores,  and  two 
taverns  were  erected,  and  the  village  selected  as  a  suitable  place 
for  the  seat  of  justice  for  Switzerland  county.  There  are  at 
present  eighty-four  dwelling  houses,  besides  thirty  four  mechanics' 
shops,  of  different  professions.  The  court  house,  jail,  and  school 
house  are  of  brick.  A  brick  market  house  and  church  are  build- 
ing. It  has  eight  stores,  three  taverns,  two  lawyers,  two  physi- 
cians, and  a  printing  office  printing  a  weekly  newspaper,  called 
the  Indiana  Register.  There  is  a  library  of  300  volumes;  and  a 
literary  society  in  which  are  several  persons  of  genius,  science,  and 
literature. 

This  delightful  village  is  situated  on  the  second  bank  of  the 
Ohio,  twenty-five  feet  above  high  water  mark,  and  is  nearly  equi- 
distant from  Cincinnati,  Lexington,  and  Louisville,  or  forty 
five  miles  from  each.  The  view  of  the  Ohio  is  extensive,  being 
eight  miles.  The  country  in  the  rear  is  broken  but  fertile.  The 


156  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

climate  is  mild,  and  the  sweet  potatoe  is  cultivated  with  success. 
Cotton  would  doubtless  do  well.  There  are  several  roads  which 
diverge  from  the  settlement.  Three  mails  arrive  weekly. 

JEFFERSON, 

Is  bounded  on  the  east  by  Switzerland  county,  on  the  south  by 
the  river  Ohio,  on  the  west  by  the  county  of  Clark,  on  the  north  by 
Indian  lands.  It  contains  a  great  proportion  of  excellent  land. 
It  is  watered  by  several  small  creeks  running  in  ,o  the  Ohio,  and 
by  the  Mescatitak,  a  branch  of  the  south  fork  of  Whiteriver,  which 
heads  within  five  miles  of  the  Ohio  river. 

New  Lexington. — This  flourishing  town  is  famous  for  having 
produced  the  pretended  monied  institution,  called  "The  Lexing- 
ton Indiana  Manufacturing  Company,"  which  has  exploded.  It 
is  situated  in  a  rich  settlement,  sixteen  miles  nearly  west  of  Madi- 
son, and  five  miles  east  of  the  Knobs;  and  contains  about  forty 
houses,  some  of  them  handsome,  brick  and  frame,  and  others 
built  with  hewn  logs,  in  the  true  western  style.  There  is  a  post- 
office,  and  printing  establishment,  in  which  is  printed  the  "West- 
ern Eagle."  The  surface  of  the  surrounding  country  is  for  several 
miles,  sufficiently  rotting  to  give  the  water  of  the  creeks  and  runs  a 
brisk  motion.  The  stones  towards  the  Ohio  are  calcareous: 
to  the  west  and  north  west,  clayey  slate.  The  soil  is  very  produc- 
tive. In  the  vicinity  of  this  place,  the  enterprising  General 
M'Farland  has,  with  astonishing  preseverance,  dug  to  the  depth 
of  nearly  five  hundred  feet,  in  quest  of  salt  water.  His  exertions 
have  been  crowned  with  success,  inasmuch  as  the  water  exceeds 
in  strength  any  salt  water  in  the  western  country,  and  affords 
from  three  to  four  bushels  of  salt,  to  the  hundred  gallons  of 
water. 

Madison. — This  is  the  seat  of  justice  for  the  county,  and  is 
situated  on  the  upper  bank  of  the  Ohio,  thirty  miles  below  Vevay, 
contains  sixty  or  seventy  houses,  mostly  small  and  new.  The 
banking  institution,  called  the  "Farmers'  and  Mechanics'  Bank," 
is  established  here. 

CLARK, 

Is  bounded  east  by  Jefferson  county,  south  by  the  Ohio  river, 
west  by  the  counties  of  Harrison  and  Washington,  north  by  the 
county  of  Jackson  and  Indian  lands.  It  is  watered  by  several 
creeks  running  into  the  Ohio,  such  as  Silver  creek,  Cane  run,  &c. 
and  several  brooks  falling  into  the  Mescatitak  branch  of  the 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  157 

south  fork  of  Whiteriver.  Its  surface  is  considerably  broken  in 
the  central  parts  of  the  county.  Hickory  and  oak  are  the  prevail- 
ing timber.  It  is  thought  that  this  country  contains  many  valu- 
able minerals;  some  have  been  discovered;  copperas  is  found  in  the 
high  banks  of  Silver  creek,  about  two  miles  from  its  mouth.  A 
medicinal  spring,  near  Jeffersonville,  has  been  much  frequented — 
its  waters  are  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur  and  iron.  The 
reed  cane  grows  on  the  flats. 

Charleston — The  seat  of  justice  for  Clark  county,  is  situated  in 
the  centre  of  a  rich  and  thriving  settlement,  thirty-two  miles  south 
of  west  from  Madison,  two  miles  from  the  Ohio  river,  and  fourteen 
from  the  falls.  This  village,  like  many  others  in  the  western  coun- 
try, has  sprung  up  suddenly  by  the  magical  influence  of  American 
enterprize,  excited  into  action  by  a  concurrence  of  favorable  cir- 
cumstances. 

Jeffersonville — Stands  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio,  nearly  opposite 
Louisville,  and  a  little  above  the  falls.  It  contains  about  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  houses,  brick,  frame  and  hewn  logs.  The  bank  of 
the  river  is  high,  which  affords  a  fine  view  of  Louisville,  the  falls, 
and  the  opposite  hills.  Just  below  the  town  is  a  fine  eddy  for  boats. 
A  post-office,  and  a  land-office,  for  the  sale  of  the  United  States' 
lands,  are  established,  and  it  promises  to  become  a  place  of  wealth, 
elegance  and  extensive  business.  The  most  eligible  boat  channel 
is  on  the  Indiana  side  of  the  Ohio. 

Clarksville — Lies  at  the  lower  end  of  the  falls;  and,  although 
commenced  as  early  as  1783,  does  not  contain  above  'forty  houses, 
most  of  them  old  and  decayed.  It  has  a  safe  capacious  harbor  for 
boats. 

New  Albany — A  short  distance  below  Clarksville,  has  been 
puffed  throughout  the  Union;  but  has  not  yet  realized  the  antici- 
pations of  the  proprietors. 

HARRISON, 

Is  bounded  east  by  Clark  county,  south  by  the  Ohio,  west  by 
the  new  county  of  Perry,  and  north  by  Washington.  Its  principal 
stream  is  Blue  river,  which  is  navigable  for  boats  about  forty 
miles.  Gen.  Harrison  owns  a  large  tract  of  land  upon  this  river, 
and  has  erected  a  grist  and  saw  mill,  about  eight  miles  from  its 
mouth,  on  a  durable  spring  brook,  running  into  it.  On  both  banks 
of  this  river  are  large  quantities  of  oak  and  locust  timber.  Gen. 
H.  had  it  in  contemplation,  shortly  before  the  commencement  of 


158  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  late  war,  to  establish  a  ship  yard  at  its  mouth,  where  there  is  a 
convenient  situation  for  building  and  launching  vessels. 

Corydon — The  seat  of  justice  for  Harrison  county,  is  situated 
twenty-five  miles  nearly  west  from  Jeffersonville,  and  ten  miles 
from  the  Ohio  river.  It  was  commenced  in  1809,  and  is  the  seat  of 
government  for  the  state.  The  selection  of  this  place  by  the  legis- 
lature, as  the  seat  of  government  for  the  period  of  eight  years,  has 
excited  great  dissatisfaction  in  other  parts  of  the  state.  It  has 
rapidly  encreased  since  the  meeting  of  the  state  convention,  in 
July,  1816.  The  Indiana  Gazette  is  printed  in  this  village. 

WASHINGTON 

County  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  Clark  county,  on  the  south 
by  the  county  of  Harrison,  on  the  west  by  the  county  of  Orange, 
and  on  the  north  by  the  county  of  Jackson.  It  is  watered  by  the 
south  fork  of  Whiteriver — is  moderately  hilly,  and  was  established 
in  1814. 

Salem — Is  the  only  village  deserving  notice;  and  is  situated 
thirty-four  miles  north  of  Corydon,  and  twenty-five  nearly  west 
from  Jeffersonville,  on  the  Vincennes  road. 

JACKSON 

Lies  west  of  Clark  and  Jefferson  counties,  north  of  Washing- 
ton, east  of  Orange,  and  south  of  the  Indian  country.  It  is  watered 
by  Whiteriver  and  its  tributary  creeks,  and  was  set  off  in  1815. 
Brownstown  is  the  seat  of  justice;  and  is  situated  twenty-five  miles 
east  of  north  from  Salem. 

ORANGE 

County  is  bounded  by  the  counties  of  Washington  and  Jack- 
son on  the  east;  by  Harrison  and  Perry  on  the  south;  by  the  county 
of  Knox  on  the  west;  and  by  Indian  lands  on  the  north.  It  has  a 
rich  soil,  and  is  well  watered  by  Whiteriver  and  Petoka.  A  gen- 
tleman, who  surveyed  several  townships- in  the  county,  declares  it 
to  be  equal  in  point  of  fertility  of  soil,  and  excellence  of  water,  to 
any  county  in  the  state.  "The  surface  is  agreeably  undulating. 
The  timber  on  the  hills  consist  of  black  walnut,  oak,  hickory,  ash, 
sugar  maple;  on  the  low  grounds,  basswood,  pawpaw,  honey  locust, 
buckeye  and  spicewood;  besides,  grape  vines,  and  a  variety  of 
shrubs.  We  occasionally  met  with  rattlesnakes  and  copperheads 
on  the  uplands,  but  never  in  the  bottoms.  The  most  common 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  159 

game  are  deer  and  bear.  There  is  a  coal-mine  a  little  below  the 
forks  of  Whiteriver;  besides,  we  met  with  frequent  signs  of  min- 
erals; and  the  needle  often  refused  to  settle.  The  bottoms  of 
Whiteriver  are  nearly  as  wide  as  those  of  the  Wabash,  and  con- 
tain evidence  of  having  been  formerly  inhabited  by  Indians,  as  the 
remains  of  their  cabins  and  corn-hills  are  yet  visible.  The  new 
village  of  Paoli  is  the  county  seat.  It  is  forty  miles  nearly  east  of 
Vincennes;  and  thirty  north  of  west  from  Salem." 

KNOX. 

This  county  is  bounded  by  Orange  on  the  east;  by  the  county 
of  Gibson  on  the  south;  by  the  Wabash  river  on  the  west;  and  by 
Indian  lands  on  the  north.  This  is  the  oldest  and  most  populous 
county  in  the  state.  It  is  watered  by  the  Deche,  Whiteriver, 
Wabash,  Littleriver,  St.  Marie,  Busseron,  Raccoon  and  Ambush 
creeks.  It  has  upwards  of  200,000  acres  of  the  best  prairie  and 
bottom  land,  and  is  rapidly  'encreasing  in  inhabitants  and 
improvements. 

Vincennes. — The  seat  of  justice  for  Knox  county,  stands  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  Wabash,  one  hundred  miles  from  its  junction  with 
the  Ohio,  in  a  direct  line,  but  nearly  two  hundred  by  the  courses  of 
the  river;  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  west  of  the  falls  of  Ohio. 
It  contains  about  one  hundred  houses,  most  of  which  are  small 
and  scattering;  some  have  a  neat  and  handsome  aspect,  while 
others  are  built  in  an  uncouth  manner,  having  a  frame  skeleton 
filled  up  with  mud  and  stick  walls,  similar  to  some  of  the  old  Ger- 
man houses  on  the  Hudson  and  Mohawk  rivers.  The  best  build- 
ings are  a  brick  tavern,  jail,  and  academy.  The  latter,  which  is  an 
honor  to  the  state,  stands  in  the  public  square,  and  is  under  the 
direction  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Scott,  a  presbyterian  minister,  a  gen- 
tleman of  letters;  yet,  hitherto,  his  pupils  have  not  been  numer- 
ous. He  teaches  the  ancient  languages,  mathematics,  &c.  The 
meeting  house,  a  plain  building,  stands  on  the  prairie,  one  mile 
from  the  town.  The  plan  of  the  town  is  handsomely  designed;  the 
streets  are  wide  and  cross  each  other  at  right  angles.  Almost  every 
house  has  a  garden  in  its  rear,  with  high,  substantial  picket  fences 
to  prevent  the  thefts  of  the  Indians.  General  Harrison  is  one  of  the 
principal  proprietors  of  the  soil.  The  common  field  near  the  town 
contains  nearly  5,000  acres,  of  excellent  prairie  soil,  which  has 
been  cultivated  for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  yet  retains  its 
pristine  fertility.  The  United  States  have  a  land  office  for  the  dis- 


160  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

posal  of  the  public  lands;  and  formerly  kept  a  small  garrison,  in  a 
little  stockade  near  the  bank  of  the  river,  for  the  protection  of  the 
inhabitants.  The  Governor  of  the  territory  resided,  and  the  terri- 
torial legislature  convened  here.  The  place  has  possessed  many 
political  advantages.  "The  bank  of  Vincennes"  enjoys  a  good 
character,  and  its  paper  has  already  attained  an  extensive  cir- 
culation. It  has  recently  become  a  state  bank.  There  is  also  a 
printing  office,  which  issues  a  paper,  called  the  "Western  Sun", 
edited  by  Mr.  E.  Stout.  This  village  was  settled  nearly  one  hun- 
dred years  ago,  by  the  French,  who  mostly  came  from  Lower 
Canada.  Buried  in  the  centre  of  an  immense  wilderness,  unpro- 
tected, and  without  intercourse  with  the  civilized  world,  these 
colonists  gradually  approximated  to  the  savage  state.  Many  of 
the  males  intermarried  with  the  Indians,  whose  amity  was  by 
these  ties  secured  and  strengthened,  and  their  numbers  amounted 
to  three  hundred  persons. 

"During  the  revolutionary  war,  their  remote  situation 
exempted  them  from  all  its  evils,  till,  in  1782,  they  were  visited  by 
a  detachment  from  Kentucky,  who  plundered  and  insulted  them, 
and  killed  or  drove  off  the  cattle  which  formed  their  chief  wealth. 

"The  peace  of  1783,  gave  them  to  the  United  States,  under 
whose  benign  government  they  began  to  breathe  again;  but 
unluckily  an  Indian  war  commenced  in  1788,  and  siding  with  the 
whites,  as  duty  and  discretion  enjoined,  they  were  annoyed  by 
the  savages,  whose  animosity  was  embittered  by  the  remembrance 
of  their  ancient  friendship  and  alliance.  Their  cattle  were  killed, 
their  village  closely  beset,  and,  for  several  years,  they  could  not 
carry  the  plough  or  hoe  a  musket  shot  from  their  huts. 

"Military  service  was  added  to  their  other  hardships;  but,  in 
1792,  the  compassion  of  the  federal  government  gave  four  hundred 
acres  of  land  to  every  one  who  paid  the  capitation,  and  one  hun- 
dred more  to  every  one  who  served  in  the  militia.  This  domain,  so 
ample  to  a  diligent  husbandman,  was  of  little  value  to  the  hunting 
Frenchmen,  who  soon  bartered  away  their  invaluable  ground  for 
about  30  cents  an  acre,  which  was  paid  to  them  in  goods,  on  which 
an  exorbitant  profit  was  charged.  This  land  was  of  the  best  qual- 
ity; it  sold,  as  early  as  1796,  at  two  dollars  an  acre,  and  I  may  ven- 
ture to  say  is  now  worth  at  least  ten.  Thus,  for  the  most  part, 
reduced  again  to  their  gardens,  or  the  little  homestead  which  was 
indispensable  to  their  subsistence,  they  had  nothing  to  live  on 
but  their  fruit,  potatoes,  maize,  and  now  and  then  a  little  game; 
and,  on  this  fare,  no  wonder  they  became  as  lean  as  Arabs. 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  161 

"Their  ignorance,  indeed,  was  profound.  Nobody  ever  opened 
a  school  among  them,  till  it  was  done  by  the  abbe  R.  a  polite,  well 
educated,  and  liberal  minded  missionary,  banished  hither  by  the 
French  revolution.  Out  of  nine  of  the  French,  scarcely  six  could 
read  or  write,  whereas  nine-tenths  of  the  Americans,  or  emigrants 
from  the  east,  could  do  both.  Their  dialect  is  by  no  means,  as  I 
had  been  previously  assured,  a  vulgar  or  provincial  brogue,  but 
pretty  good  French,  intermixed  with  many  military  terms  and 
phrases,  all  the  settlements  having  been  originally  made  by  sol- 
diers. The  primitive  stock  of  Canada  was  the  regiment  of  Carig- 
non."* 

The  country  around  Vincennes  in  every  direction,  being  well 
adapted  to  settlements  and  cultivation,  what  is  there  to  prevent 
this  place  from  equalling,  in  a  very  few  years,  in  numbers,  wealth, 
and  refinement,  the  fine  towns  of  Lexington,  Louisville  and  Cin- 
cinnati .  Building  lots  in  Yincennes  sell  at  from  fifty  to  one  thous- 
and dollars  a  lot.  There  are  two  roads  leading  to  the  Ohio;  one 
to  fort  Harrison;  one  to  Princeton;  and  one  to  Kaskaskia. 

A  new  village  has  feen  laid  out  at  Terre  Haute,  three  miles 
below  fort  Harrison.  This  situation,  for  beauty  of  prospect,  is 
exceeded  by  none  in  the  state. 

PRICES  AND    SALES  OF  PUBLIC  LANDS. 

Congress  lands,  after  the  auction  sales  are  closed,  sell  invari- 
ably for  $2  an  acre.  For  a  quarter  section,  $80  are  to  be  paid  down 
—the  same  sum  in  two  years;  and  the  remainder  in  annual  pay- 
ments, without  interest,  if  punctually  made.  Those  who  pay  in 
advance,  are  entitled  to  a  discount  of  eight  per  cent. 

Harrison's  Purchase,  containing  upwards  of  3,000,000  acres, 
lying  between  Whiteriver,  the  Wabash,  and  Rocky  river,  was 
opened  for  sale  at  auction,  at  Jeffersonville,  in  Sept.  last,  and 
altho'  the  Canadian  volunteers  had  previously  selected  their 
donation  lots,  numerous  tracts  were  sold  at  from  $4  to  $30  an 
acre.  A  fractional  section  on  the  Wabash,  below  fort  Harrison, 
sold  for  $32.18,  and  several  others  from  $20  to  $30.  Speculators 
from  all  quarters  attended  the  sales. 

The  Canadian  volunteers  deserved  the  munificence  of  the 
United  States,  for  they  freely  shed  their  blood  under  our  banners, 
upon  the  Niagara  frontier,  under  the  intrepid  Wilcocks,  Delapierre, 
and  Markle.  But  unfortunately  the  cup  of  generosity  was  upset 
before  it  reached  their  mouths.  We  gave  them  the  choice  of  the 

*See  Volney's  View  of  the  Soil  and  Climate  of  the  United  States,  pages  334  and  335. 
T— 11 


162  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

best  lands  in  the  United  States,  merely  to  enrich  the  Mammon  of 
speculation.  Most  of  these  brave  men  have  blindly  or  neces- 
sitously  parted  with  their  lands  for  a  song. 

ANTIQUITIES. 

On  the  hills,  two  miles  east  of  the  town,  are  three  large  mounds; 
and  others  are  frequently  met  with  on  the  prairies  and  upland, 
from  Whiteriver  to  the  head  of  the  Wabash.  They  are  in  every 
respect  similar  to  those  in  Franklin  county,  already  described. 

The  French  have  a  tradition,  that  an  exterminating  battle  was 
fought  in  the  beginning  of  the  last  century,  on  the  ground  where 
fort  Harrison  now  stands,  between  the  Indians  living  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  those  of  the  Wabash.  The  bone  of  contention  was  the 
lands  lying  between  those  rivers,  which  both  parties  claimed. 
There  were  about  1,000  warriors  on  each  side.  The  condition  of 
the  fight  was,  that  the  victors  should  possess  the  lands  in  dispute. 
The  grandeur  of  the  prize  was  peculiarly  calculated  to  inflame  the 
ardor  of  savage  minds.  The  contest  commenced  about  sunrise. 
Both  parties  fought  desperately.  The  Wabash  warriors  came  off 
conquerors,  having  seven  men  left  alive  at  sunset,  and  their  adver- 
saries but  five.  The  mounds  are  still  to  be  seen  where  it  is  said 
the  slain  were  buried. 

GIBSON. 

This  county  is  bounded  by  the  counties  of  Warwick  and 
Orange  on  the  east,  the  county  of  Posey  on  the  south,  the  Wabash 
river  on  the  west,  and  the  county  of  Knox  on  the  north.  It  is 
watered  by  several  creeks  and  runs,  falling  into  the  Petoka  and 
Wabash.  About  one  half  of  this  county  has  a  fertile  and  highly 
favorable  soil;  and  the  greater  part  of  the  other  half  would  be  pro- 
nounced good,  in  any  of  the  Atlantic  states. 

Princeton — Is  the  county  seat;  it  lies  thirty-five  miles  nearly 
south  of  Vincennes.  It  has  a  post-office;  and  has  had  a  rapid 
growth,  considering  the  newness  of  the  surrounding  settlements. 

Harmony. — This  village  is  situated  on  the  Wabash,  half  a  day's 
ride  below  Princeton,  and  is  settled  by  the  Harmonists,  from  Butler 
county,  Pennsylvania.  They  are  under  the  direction  of  the  Rev. 
George  Rapp;  and  hold  their  property  in  community.  They  have 
a  very  extensive  establishment  for  the  manufacturing  of  wool. 
Their  Merino  cloth  is  not  surpassed  by  any  in  America.  They 
also  cultivate  the  vine;  and  are  distinguished  for  their  temperance, 
industry  and  skill  in  many  of  the  mechanical  professions. 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  163 

POSEY, 

Is  situated  south  of  Gibson,  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  county 
of  Warwick,  on  the  south  and  west  by  the  Ohio  and  Wabash 
rivers.  It  contains  rich  and  extensive  prairies;  but  the  banks  of 
the  Wabash  are  in  many  places  subject  to  inundation,  both  from 
its  own  floods,  and  those  of  the  Ohio,  which  sets  up  the  Wabash 
several  miles. 

WARWICK. 

This  county  is  situated  east  of  the  county  of  Posey,  bounded 
on  the  east  by  the  county  of  Perry,  on  the  south  by  the  Ohio 
river,  on  the  west  by  the  county  of  Posey,  and  on  the  north  by  the 
counties  of  Orange  and  Knox.  It  is  a  level  and  rich  county, 
watered  by  several  large  creeks  running  into  the  Ohio,  such  as 
Beaver,  Pigeon,  &c.  It  is  nevertheless  but  indifferently  watered, 
owing  to  the  early  drying  up  of  the  streams.  The  prairies  are  num- 
erous, but  mostly  inferior,  in  point  of  soil,  to  those  bordering  the 
Wabash.  The  prevailing  timber  being  oak,  the  range  for  hogs  is 
excellent. 

PERRY, 

Is  bounded  east  by  Harrison,  north  by  Orange  and  Washing- 
ton, west  by  Warwick,  and  south  by  the  Ohio  river.  It  is  watered 
by  the  little  river  Anderson,  and  by  creeks  and  runs  falling  into  the 
Ohio.  It  was  established  in  1615.  [1815]. 

INDIANS. 

These  consist  of  Mascontins,  Piankashaws,  Kickapoos,  Del- 
awares,  Miamis,  Shawancese,  Weeaws,  Ouitanans,  Eel-rivers, 
Hurons,  and  Pottawattamies. 

The  Mascontins  and  Piankashaws  reside  on  the  rivers  falling 
into  the  right  bank  of  the  Wabash,  between  Vincennes  and  Tippa- 
canoe.  Their  numbers  are  given  at  1,000  souls.  Hutchins  affirms 
that  they,  together  with  the  Kickapoos,  could  raise  1,000  war- 
riors. 

The  Kickapoos  reside  on  the  west  side  of  the  Wabash,  above 
Tippacanoe,  and  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Illinois.  They  have 
several  large  villages,  and  can  raise  400  warriors. 

The  Delawares  reside  on  the  head  waters  of  Whiteriver,  in  a 
village  surrounded  by  large  open  prairies.  I  have  no  data  for 
stating  their  numbers  with  accuracy;  they  are  not  numerous. 

The  Miamis  inhabit  the  upper  Wabash,  Massissinway,  Miami- 


164  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

of-the-lakes,  and  Little  St.  Josephs — mostly  within  one  or  two 
day's  travel  of  fort  Wayne.  General  Harrison  burnt  four  of  their 
towns  at  the  forks  of  the  Wabash,  in  September,  1813.  They  are 
the  proprietors  of  excellent  lands,  and  cultivate  large  quantities 
of  Indian  corn.  They  are  reduced  to  about  1,100  souls. 

The  Shawancese  live  on  and  near  the  banks  of  Tippacanoe, 
Ponce  Passu  creek,  and  the  Wabash  river.  They  were  formerly  a 
very  formidable  and  warlike  tribe;  but  have  been  reduced  by  their 
frequent  wars,  to  about  400  warriors.  They  have  fine  lands,  and 
raise  an  abundance  of  corn.  Their  country  was  invaded  by  Gen- 
eral Wilkinson,  in  1791,  who  destroyed  their  principal  town,  near 
the  mouth  of  Tippacanoe,  called  Kathtippecamunk.  "It  contained 
one  hundred  and  twenty  houses,  eighty  of  which  were  shingle 
roofed.  The  best  houses  belonged  to  the  French  traders.  The 
gardens  and  improvements  around  were  delightful.  There  was  a 
tavern,  with  cellars,  bar,  public  and  private  rooms;  and  the  whole 
marked  no  small  Degree  of  order  and  civilization."  Not  far  from 
the  ruins  of  this  town  stands  the  celebrated  Prophet's  town, 
destroyed  by  General  Harrison,  in  Nov.  1811,  but  since  rebuilt. 
Above  [below]  Tippacanoe  is  the  old  French  post  of  Ouitanan, 
situated  on  the  north  [south]  side  of  the  Wabash,  in  the  centre  of 
the  Indian  country.  This  place  is  as  old  as  Vincennes. 

Several  half  civilized  French  inhabitants  reside  here  as  well 
as  at  L'Anguille,  on  Eelriver.  They  raise  corn,  and  trade  with  the 
Indians. 

The  Hurons  reside  in  a  small  village,  ten  or  fifteen  miles  south 
east  of  Ouitanan.  There  are  only  ten  or  twelve  families  of  them. 
The  Eelrivers  and  Weeaws  are  bands  of  the  Miamis;  and  reside 
on  the  Wabash  and  Eelriver.  They  can  collect  about  100  warriors. 

A  part  of  the  Winnebagoes  occupy  a  village  on  Ponce  Passu 
creek,  seven  miles  east  of  the  Prophet's  town,  which  contains  from 
forty-five  to  fifty  houses,  several  of  which  are  fifty  feet  long;  others 
reside  on  the  branches  of  Plein  and  Fox  rivers,  and  frequent 
Chicago. 

The  Pottawattamies  are  the  most  numerous  tribe  in  the  state. 
They  reside  on  the  Elkhart  branch  of  the  St.  Josephs,  where  they 
have  five  villages,  one  of  which  is  situated  in  an  immense  prairie, 
sixty  miles  west  of  fort  Wayne.  The  course  of  this  branch  is  north 
west.  The  balance  of  this  tribe  live  on  the  St.  Josephs,  Chicago, 
Kennomic,  and  Theakaki  rivers. 

The  best  proof  of  the  excellence  of  the  land  on  the  Upper 
Wabash,  is  the  circumstance  of  its  being  the  scene  of  a  numerous 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  165 

Indian  population.  These  sagacious  children  of  nature  are  good 
judges  of  land.  Indeed,  they  are  rarely,  if  ever,  found  on  a  barren 
soil. 

EXTENT  OF  NAVIGABLE  WATERS. 

Miles 
The  Ohio  river  washes  the  southern  boundary  of  Indiana, 

for  the  distance  of 472 

Wabash,  navigable 470 

Whiteriver,  and  its  forks 160 

Petoka 30 

Blueriver 40 

White  River 40 

Rocky  River 45 

Panne 30 

Massissinway 45 

Eel,  and  Little  rivers 60 

Western  tributaries  of  the  Wabash 330 

St.  Joseph  of  Miami  and  Panther's  Creek 75 

Elkhart  and  part  of  St.  Joseph  of  L.  Mich 100 

Great  and  Little  Kennomic -. 120 

Chemin  River 40 

Chicago  and  Kickapoo 80 

Theakaki,  and  parts  of  Fox,  Plein  and  Illinois 300 

Southern  coast  of  Lake  Michigan 50 


Total 2,487 

The  foregoing  estimate  does  not  embrace  streams  beatable 
less  than  thirty  miles;  besides,  several  of  those  named  are  navi- 
gable for  canoes  and  small  boats  many  miles  further  than  the  given 
distances  annexed. 

The  distance  from  Chicago,  to  New  Orleans,  by  water,  is  1,680 
miles — to  Buffalo,  about  800.  The  surplus  products  of  three 
fourths  of  the  state  will  find  their  way  to  the  New  Orleans  market. 

VIEW  OF  PORTAGES. 

All  the  streams  in  the  northern  parts  of  the  state,  which 
empty  into  the  Wabash  and  Illinois,  have  their  branches  inter- 
woven with  many  of  the  rivers  running  into  lakes  Erie  and  Mich- 
igan. Indeed,  as  before  observed,  they  not  unfrequently  issue 
from  the  same  marsh,  prairie,  pond,  or  lake.  There  are  upwards 
of  twenty  portages  near  the  Michigan  frontier,  only  two  of  which 
have  hitherto  been  used  by  the  whites.  The  first  of  these  is 
between  the  St.  Marys  and  the  Littleriver  branch  of  the  Wabash, 
and  is  nine  miles  long.  The  road  which  is  good  in  dry  seasons, 


166  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

leaves  the  St.  Marys  near  Fort  Wayne,  where  teams  are  kept  for 
the  transportation  of  boats  and  merchandize.  It  was  by  this 
route  that  the  French,  while  in  possession  of  Canada,  passed  from 
the  lakes  to  their  posts  on  the  Wabash.  From  the  levelness  of  the 
intervening  country,  a  canal  could  be  easily  opened,  uniting  the 
two  streams.  The  second  is  the  short  portage  between  the 
Chicago  and  the  Kickapoo  branch  of  the  Illinois,  rendered  impor- 
tant by  the  inundations,  which  at  certain  seasons  cover  the  inter- 
mediate prairie,  from  which  the  two  opposite  streams  flow. 
By  this  means  nature  has  herself  opened  a  navigable  communi- 
cation between  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  Mississippi:  and  it  is  a 
fact,  however  difficult  it  may  be  of  belief  to  many,  that  boats  not 
unfrequently  pass  from  Lake  Michigan  into  the  Illinois,  and  in 
some  instances  without  being  subjected  to  the  necessity  of  having 
their  lading  taken  out.  I  have  never  been  on  this  portage,  and 
therefore  cannot  speak  from  personal  knowledge,  yet  the  fact  has 
reached  me  through  so  many  authentic  channels,  that  I  have  no 
doubt  of  its  truth.  Gen.  P.  B.  Porter,  whose  geographical  knowl- 
edge of  the  countries  bordering  the  lakes,  is  excelled  by  that  of  no 
gentleman  in  the  western  country,  has  given  his  corroborative  testi- 
mony in  his  speech  on  internal  navigation  delivered  on  the  floor 
of  congress  in  1810.  Lieutenant  Hamilton  of  the  United  States 
army,  a  meritorious  officer,  whose  services  have  not  been  ade- 
quately requited,  informed  a  friend  of  mine  living  at  Detroit,  that  he 
had  passed  with  a  laden  boat,  and  met  with  no  obstructions  on  the 
portage,  except  from  the  grass,  through  which,  however,  the  men 
easily  forced  the  boat.  But,  in  order  to  multiply  proof  and  remove 
every  doubt,  I  consulted  the  Hon.  N.  POPE,  the  Territorial  Dele- 
gate in  congress  from  Illinois,  who  in  answer  to  my  enquiries 
stated,  that  "at  high  water  boats  pass  out  of  Lake  Michigan  into 
the  Illinois  river,  and  so  vice  versa,  without  landing.  A  canal 
uniting  them  is  deemed  practicable  at  a  small  expense,"  &c. 
When  on  the  upper  lakes,  I  frequently  met  with  voyageurs  who 
had  assisted  in  navigating  boats  across  this  portage. 

This  morass  is  not  the  only  one  possessing  two  distinct  outlets, 
I  have  myself  witnessed  this  phenomenon  in  several  instances;  but 
never  where  there  was  water  sufficient  to  float  a  laden  boat.  Let 
us  hear  what  the  justly  celebrated  Volney,  says  on  this  interesting 
subject. 

"During  the  vernal  floods,  the  north  branch  of  the  Great  Miami 
mixes  its  waters  with  the  southern  branch  of  the  Miami  of  the 
Lake.  The  carrying  place,  or  portage,  of  a  league,  which  separates 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  167 

their  heads,  disappears  beneath  the  flood,  and  we  can  pass  in 
canoes  from  the  Ohio  to  Lake  Erie,  as  I  myself  witnessed  in  1796. 

"At  Loremier's  Fort,  or  store,  an  eastern  branch  of  the  Wabash 
serves  as  a  simple  canal  to  connect  the  two  Miamis;  and  the  same 
Wabash,  by  a  northern  branch,  communicates,  above  Fort  Wayne, 
in  the  time  of  inundation,  with  the  Miami  of  Lake  Erie. 

"In  the  winter  of  1792-3,  two  boats  (perogues)  were  detached 
from  Detroit,  by  a  mercantile  house,  from  whom  I  received  the 
information,  which  passed,  without  interruption,  from  the  Huron 
river,*  which  enters  Lake  Erie,  into  Grand  River,  which  falls  into 
Lake  Michigan,  by  means  of  the  rise  at  the  heads  of  the  two 
streams. 

"The  Muskingum,  which  flows  into  the  Ohio,  communicates, 
at  its  cources,  through  some  small  lakes,  with  the  Cayahoga,- 
belonging  to  Lake  Erie." 

There  is  a  portage  of  four  miles  between  the  St.  Joseph's  of 
Lake  Michigan,  and  the  Theakaki;  of  two  miles  between  the  Thea- 
kaki  and  the  Great  Kennomic;  of  half  a  mile  between  the  Great 
and  Little  Kennomic;  of  four  miles  between  the  Chemin  and  Little 
Kennomic;  and  of  three  miles  between  the  west  fork  of  Chicago 
and  Plein;  besides  numerous  ones  between  the  head  branches  of 
the  two  St.  Josephs;  Black,  Eaisin  and  Eel  rivers,  which  vary  in 
length  according  to  the  dryness  or  moisture  of  the  season.  There 
is  a  short  portage  between  the  St.  Marys  and  the  main  branch  of 
the  Wabash,  over  which,  in  times  of  inundation,  the  Indians  pass 
with  their  light  perogues. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Chicago  is  a  small  river,  which  forks  sixteen  miles  from  the 
lake,  into  the  east  and  west  branches.  Sloops  of  forty  tons  burthen 
can  enter  its  harbor.  Six  miles  from  the  lake  its  current  becomes 
brisk,  and  continues  so  as  far  as  the  portage.  Fort  Dearborn 
famous  for  the  murder  of  its  garrison  in  September  1815,  [1812] 
by  the  Pottawattamies,  stood  upon  its  left  bank  near  the  lake 
shore.  The  Indians  have  relinquished  to  the  United  States  a 
tract  of  land  six  miles  square,  at  the  mouth  of  this  river.  The  fort 
has  been  lately  re-occupied. 

The  Great  Kennomic. — This  river  rises  twenty  or  thirty  miles 
S.  of  lake  Michigan,  and  running  a  N.  W.  course  approaches 

*The  river  Huron  mentioned  by  Volney,  enters  Lake  Erie  six  miles  below  Maiden. 
There  are  two  other  rivers  of  this  name;  one  falls  into  Lake  Erie  twelve  miles  below 
Sandusky  Bay,  and  the  other  into  Lake  St.  Clair. 


168  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

within  two  or  three  miles  of  that  lake.  Thence  winding  to  the  S. 
W.  and  north,  it  forms  a  curviture  nearly  similar  to  the  end  of  the 
lake,  and  parallel  with  it,  keeping  at  the  distance  of  8  or  9  miles. 
It  thence  turns  suddenly  to  the  S.  E.  E.  and  N.  E.  in  a  contrary  but 
parallel  direction  to  its  former  course,  and  empties  into  the  lake  30 
miles  east  of  Chicago.  It  expands  behind  the  sand  hills  near  its 
mouth,  and  forms  a  spacious  bay.  It  affords  to  the  Indians  an 
inexhaustible  supply  of  fish,  and  an  ample  range  for  fowling  and 
trapping.  Its  banks  are  low,  and  its  current  gentle. 

Population. — I  have  recently  received  several  letters  from 
gentlemen  residing  in  Indiana,  which  concur  in  stating  that  the 
population  has  doubled  since  May  1815.  In  other  words,  it  now 
amounts  to  128,000  souls,  a  rapidity  of  increase  altogether  unprec- 
edented. 

Price  of  Improved  Lands. — Farms  containing  a  log  house  and 
fifteen  or  twenty  acres,  sell  as  high  as  eight  or  ten  dollars;  in  some 
instances  the  necessities  or  rambling  dispositions  of  the  inhab- 
itants induce  them  to  dispose  of  their  plantations  at  a  trifling 
advance  upon  the  original  price. 

Falls  of  the  Ohio. — An  improvement  of  the  navigation  of  the 
falls  is  about  to  be  attempted  by  a  canal  round  the  rapids.  The 
legislature  have  incorporated  a  company  with  a  capital  of  SI, 000,- 
000.  When  this  enterprize  is  accomplished,  ship  building  will 
probably  re-commence  with  vigor. 

It  was  the  difficulties  encountered  in  getting  vessels  over  these 
rapids,  which  chiefly  contributed  to  discourage  this  important 
business  abo\  e  the  falls. 

The  W  abash. — The  rapids  at  Ouitanan  are  impassable  for 
boats;  but  the  navigation  is  so  good  between  Vincennes  and  this 
place,  that  Gen.  Hopkins  in  his  expedition  to  Tippecanoe  in  1813, 
conveyed  his  baggage  and  stores  in  large  keels,  of  thirty  tons 
burthen.  General  Harrison  in  his  expedition  against  the  Prophet, 
was  accompanied  in  his  march  through  the  wilderness  by  a  caravan 
of  waggons!  They  were  enabled  to  proceed  with  tolerable  speed  by 
keeping  in  the  prairies  to  the  west  of  the  woodlands  bordering  the 
Wabash. 

Washington  County. — In  addition  to  the  streams  mentioned  in 
page  66,  is  watered  by  Blueriver,  which  rises  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  county,  and  pursuing  a  S.  E.  course,  passes  through  Harrison 
county  twelve  miles  south-west  of  Corydon. 

Climate. — From  the  latitude  of  Ouitanan.  (40  20)  to  the  bor- 
ders of  the  Ohio,  the  climate  of  Indiana  may  be  pronounced  mild. 


SAMUEL  R.  BROWN.  169 

North  of  the  head  branches  of  the  Wabash,  the  north  and  north- 
west winds  are  formidable  enemies  to  human  comfort,  and  the 
winters  severe  and  rigorous;  though  snow  is  rarely  known  to  fall  so 
deep  as  it  does  in  the  northern  counties  of  New- York.  The 
southern  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  the  vast  prairies  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Wabash  have  little  to  protect  them  from  the  rage  of 
the  brumal  winds. 

The  Reed  Cane. — This  plant  grows  south  of  *hp  ridge  of  hills 
extending  from  the  falls  of  the  Ohio  to  those  of  the  Wabash  above 
the  mouth  of  Whiteriver.  It  is  sometimes  found  as  far  north  as 
the  mouth  of  the  Big  Miami.  Cotton,  the  vines  of  Spain,  the  silk 
worm,  and  the  sweet  potatoe  will  flourish  wherever  the  reed  cane 
grows,  except,  the  first,  which  does  not  grow  to  perfection  beyond 
31  degrees  of  north  latitude.  Rice  and  Indigo,  I  think  would  do 
well  between  Blueriver  and  the  Wabash,  though  I  have  never 
seen  either  cultivated,  or  heard  that  the  inhabitants  have  yet  made 
the  trial.  I  have  seen  these  plants  growing  luxuriantly  in  Overton 
county,  Tennessee,  which  is  a  high  broken  country,  near  the  Ken- 
tucky boundary  line,  in  latitude  36  35.  The  mouth  of  the  Wabash 
is  in  37  50. 

The  state  will  doubtless  produce  cotton  sufficient  for  its  own 
consumption.  It  is  already  raised  in  considerable  quantities  at 
Vincennes,  Princeton,  Harmony,  and  in  the  settlements  below  the 
mouth  of  Anderson.  The  Wabash  will  at  no  very  remote  period, 
serve  as  a  canal  to  supply  with  cotton,  a  part  of  the  market  on  the 
northern  lakes. 

Game. — The  forests  of  Indiana  are  abundantly  stocked  with 
game.  Great  numbers  of  deer  are  annually  destroyed  by  the 
inhabitants.  In  travelling  seven  miles  through  the  woods  of 
Dearborn  county,  I  counted  two  bears,  three  deer,  and  upwards  of 
one  hundred  turkies;  more  that  half  of  the  latter,  however,  were 
young  ones,  just  beginning  to  fly.  I  will  here  relate  an  adventure 
which  may  serve  to  throw  some  light  on  the  natural  history  of  the 
deer.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  I  missed  my  way  and  wandered 
several  miles  in  the  wilderness,  in  my  endeavors  to  regain  the  path 
I  started  a  fawn,  which  I  soon  caught,  in  consequence  of  its  becom- 
ing entangled  in  the  herbage.  It  bleated  and  appeared  greatly 
frightened.  Conceiving  myself  to  be  near  a  settlement  and 
unwilling  to  destroy  it,  I  resolved  to  carry  it  to  the  first  house;  but 
after  travelling  half  a  mile  its  dam  made  her  appearance,  and 
seemed  by  her  piteous  demonstrations,  plainly  to  reproach  me  for 
my  cruelty;  upon  which  I  gave  the  fawn  its  liberty.  But  I  was  not 


170  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

a  little  surprised,  to  find  it  so  much  attached  to  me  during  our 
transient  acquaintance,  that  it  absolutely  refused  to  leave  me.  I 
pushed  it  from  me  and  pursued  my  course;  but  soon  found  it  at 
my  heels,  apparently  as  docile  as  a  pet  lamb,  and  was  compelled  to 
frighten  it  before  it  would  turn  from  me.  Relating  this  fact  to 
some  old  hunters,  they  assured  me  that  such  is  the  docility  of 
fawns,  that  they  can  be  as  effectually  tamed  in  an  hour,  as  a 
year. 

Deer,  it  is  said,  are  the  mortal  enemies  of  rattlesnakes;  and 
often  kill  them  designedly  by  jumping  on  them.  They  can  scent 
them  at  considerable  distance;  and  when  pursued  by  dogs  will 
avoid  those  which  may  happen  to  lie  in  their  way,  by  suddenly 
inclining  to  the  right  or  left.  It  is  also  reported  that  the  turkey 
buzzard  has  the  power  of  killing  the  rattlesnake  by  its  intolerable 
stench — which  it  most  powerfully  emits  by  a  violent  fluttering  in 
the  air  a  little  above  the  snake's  head. 

Farmers  are  greatly  annoyed  by  the  smaller  animals,  such  as 
squirrels,  moles  and  mice;  for  nature  is  as  prolific  in  animal  as 
vegetable  productions.  The  mole  is  particularly  troublesome  to 
cornfields  while  the  seed  is  coming  up,  and  injurious  to  meadows, 
as  it  bores  the  earth  in  every  direction. 

Minerals. — The  surface  of  Indiana  is  too  champaign  to  be  rich 
in  mines  of  gold  or  silver.  It  is,  nevertheless,  stated  that  a  silver 
mine  has  been  discoveied  near  Ouitanan.  Iron  ore  is  found  in 
many  counties,  probably  in  sufficient  quantities  for  domestic 
use.  Chalybeate  springs  are  plentiful.  The  water  between 
Whiteriver  and  New  Lexington  is  in  some  places  impregnated 
with  copperas  to  such  a  degree,  that  linen  washed  in  it  turns  black; 
and  a  few  of  the  inhabitants  have  been  induced  to  abandon  their 
habitations  in  consequence  of  the  supposed  unwholesomeness  of 
their  wells. 

Indian  Claims. — Near  two-thirds  of  this  state  belongs  to  the 
Indians.  Their  title  is  extinguished  in  the  eastern  part,  from  Fort 
Wayne  to  the  river  Ohio,  on  an  average  of  about  twenty-five 
miles  wide,  on  the  margin  of  the  Ohio  and  up  the  Wabash  and 
western  line  to  a  point  N.  W.  of  Fort  Harrison,  and  from  thence 
eastwardly  to  the  eastern  purchase,  about  thirty-five  miles  from 
the  Ohio.  Notwithstanding  the  greater  extent  of  soil  purchased 
from  the  Indians  in  the  west,  a  meridian  equidistant  from  the 
eastern  and  western  boundary  would  pretty  fairly  divide  the  popu- 
lation; but  the  western  section  will  populate  fastest,  owing  to  the 
extent  of  recently  purchased  lands. 


From  Notes  on  a  journey  in  America  from  the  coast  of 
Virginia  to  the  territory  of  Illinois,  by  Morris  Birk- 
beck  [1818],  pp.  81-118. 

BIRKBECK,  MORRIS. 

Morris  Birkbeck,  a  Quaker  farmer  of  education  and  ability,  decided  in 
1817  to  leave  England  and  make  a  new  home  for  himself  and  his  family 
somewhere  in  America. 

In  the  spring  of  1817  he  joined  his  friend  George  Flower  in  Richmond, 
Virginia,  and  they  proceeded  westward  through  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Indiana 
and  Illinois,  finally  locating  and  establishing  a  colony  in  what  is  now  Edwards 
County.  In  1818  his  "Notes  on  a  journey  in  America,  from  the  coast  of 
Virginia  to  the  territory  of  Illinois"  was  published.  The  Edinburgh  Review 
speaks  of  this  book  as  "one  of  the  most  interesting  and  instructive  books 
that  have  appeared  in  years."  His  description  of  Indiana  is  found  on  pp. 
91-118  of  the  Dublin  edition  of  1818. 

Mr.  Birkbeck  was  drowned  in  1825.  He  was  one  of  the  leaders  against 
the  attempt  to  introduce  slavery  into  the  new  state  of  Illinois. 

June  22  [1817].  As  we  approach  the  Little  Miami  river  the 
country  becomes  more  broken,  much  more  fertile,  and  better  settled. 
After  crossing  this  rapid  and  clear  stream  we  had  a  pleasant  ride  to 
Lebanon,  which  is  not  a  mountain  of  cedars,  but  a  valley,  so  beau- 
tiful and  fertile,  that  it  seemed,  on  its  first  opening  on  our  view, 
enriched  as  it  was  by  the  tints  of  evening,  rather  a  region  of  fancy 
than  a  real  backwood  scene. 

Lebanon  is  itself  'one  of  those  wonders  which  are  the  natural 
growth  of  these  backwoods.  In  fourteen  years,  from  two  or  three 
cabins  of  half-savage  hunters,  it  has  grown  to  be  the  residence  of  a 
thousand  persons,  with  habits  and  looks  no  way  differing  from 
their  brethren  of  the  east.  Before  we  entered  the  town  we  heard 
the  supper  bells  of  the  taverns  and  arrived  just  in  time  to  take  our 
seats  at  the  table,  among  just  such  a  set  as  I  should  have  expected 
to  meet  at  the  ordinary  in  Richmond;  travellers  like  ourselves, 
with  a  number  of  store-keepers,  lawyers,  and  doctors; — men  who 
board  at  the  taverns,  and  make  up  a  standing  company  for  the 
daily  public  table. 

This  morning  we  made  our  escape  from  this  busy  scene,  in 
defiance  of  the  threatening  rain.  A  crowded  tavern  in  an  Ameri- 
can town,  though  managed  as  is  that  we  have  just  quitted,  with 
great  attention  and  civility,  is  a  place  from  which  you  are  always 
willing  to  depart.  After  all,  the  wonder  is,  that  so  many  comforts 
are  provided  for  you  at  so  early  a  period. 

Cincinnati,  like  most  American  towns,  stands  too  low;  it  is 

(171) 


172  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

built  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  and  the  lower  part  is  not  out  of  the 
reach  of  spring-floods. 

As  if  "life  was  not  more  than  meat,  and  the  body  than 
raiment,"  every  consideration  of  health  and  enjoyment  yields  to 
views  of  mercantile  convenience.  Short-sighted  arid  narrow 
economy!  by  which  the  lives  of  thousands  are  shortened,  and  the 
comfort  of  all  sacrificed  to  mistaken  notions  of  private  interest. 

Cincinnati  is.  however,  a  most  thriving  place,  and  backed  as  it 
is  already  by  a  great  population  and  a  most  fruitful  country, 
bids  fair  to  be  one  of  the  first  cities  of  the  west.  We  are  told,  and 
we  cannot  doubt  the  fact,  that  the  chief  of  what  we  see  is  the  work 
of  four  years.  The  hundreds  of  commodious,  well-finished  brick 
houses,  the  spacious  and  busy  markets,  the  substantial  public 
buildings,  the  thousands  of  prosperous,  well-dressed,  industrious 
inhabitants;  the  numerous  waggons  and  drays,  the  gay  carriages 
and  elegant  females; — the  shoals  of  craft  on  the  river,  the  busy  stir 
prevailing  every  where;  houses  building,  boats  building,  paving 
and  levelling  streets;  the  numbers  of  country  people  constantly 
coming  and  going;  with  the  spacious  taverns,  crowded  with  travel- 
lers from  a  distance. 

All  this  is  so  much  more  than  I  could  comprehend,  from  a 
description  of  a  new  town,  just  risen  from  the  woods,  that  I 
despair  of  conveying  an  adequate  idea  of  it  to  my  English  friends. 
It  is  enchantment,  and  Liberty  is  the  fair  enchantress. 

I  was  assured  by  a  respectable  gentleman,  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers, and  now  a  man  of  wealth  and  influence,  that  he  remembers 
when  there  was  only  one  poor  cabin  where  this  noble  town  now 
stands.  The  county  of  Hamilton  is  something  under  the  regular 
dimensions  of  twenty  miles  square,  and  it  alreadycontains  30,000 
inhabitants.  Twenty  years  ago  the  vast  region  comprising  the 
states  of  Ohio  and  Indiana,  and  the  territory  of  Illinois  and  Michi- 
gan, onlycounted  30,000  inhabitants: — the  same  number  that  are 
now  living,  and  living  happily,  in  the  little  county  of  Hamilton, 
in  which  stands  Cincinnati. 

Why  do  not  the  governments  of  Europe  afford  such  an  asylum, 
in  their  vast  and  gloomy  forests,  for  their  increasing  myriads  of 
paupers?  This  would  be  an  object  worthy  a  convention  of  sov- 
ereigns, if  sovereigns  were  really  the  fathers  of  their  people:  but 
jealous  as  they  are  of  emigration  to  America,  this  simple  and  sure 
mode  of  preventing  it  will  never  occur  to  them. 

Land  is  rising  rapidly  in  price  in  all  well-settled  neighbor- 
hoods. Fifty  dollars  per  acre  for  improved  land  is  spoken  of  famil- 


MORRIS  BIRKBECK.  173 

iarly :  I  have  been  asked  thirty  for  a  large  tract,  without  improve- 
ments, on  the  Great  Miami,  fifty  miles  from  Cincinnati,  and  similar 
prices  in  other  quarters.  An  estate  of  a  thousand  acres,  partially 
cleared,  is  spoken  of,  on  the  road  to  Louisville,  at  twenty  dollars. 
Many  offers  occur,  all  at  a  very  great  advance  of  price.  It  now 
becomes  a  question,  whether  to  fix  in  this  comparatively  populous 
state  of  Ohio,  or  join  the  vast  tide  of  emigration  that  is  flowing 
farther  west,  where  we  may  obtain  lands  of  equal  value  at  the 
government  price  of  two  dollars  per  acre,  and  enjoy  the  advan- 
tage of  choice  of  situation. 

Though  I  feel  some  temptation  to  linger  here,  where  society  is 
attaining  a  maturity  truly  astonishing,  when  we  consider  its  early 
date,  I  cannot  be  satisfied  without  seeing  that  remoter  country, 
before  we  fix  in  this,  still  enquiring  and  observing  as  we  proceed. 
If  we  leave  behind  us  eligible  situations,  it  is  like  securing  a  retreat, 
to  which  we  may  return  with  good  prospects,  if  we  think  it  advis- 
able. 

The  probability  is,  that,  in  those  more  remote  regions,  the 
accumulation  of  settlers  will  shortly  render  land  as  valuable  as  it 
is  here  at  present;  and,  in  the  interim,  this  accession  of  inhab- 
itants will  create  a  demand  for  the  produce  of  the  new  country, 
equal  to  the  supply.  It  is  possible  too,  that  we  may  find  ourselves 
in  as  good  society  there  as  here.  Well-educated  persons  are  not 
rare  amongst  the  emigrants  who  are  moving  farther  west;  for  the 
spirit  of  emigration  has  reached  a  class  somewhat  higher  in  the 
scale  of  society  than  formerly.  Some  too  may  be  aiming  at  the 
same  point  with  ourselves;  and  others,  if  we  prosper,  will  be  likely 
to  follow  our  example. 

We  are  also  less  reluctant  at  extending  our  views  westward,  on 
considering  that  the  time  is  fast  approaching  when  the  grand 
intercourse  with  Europe  will  not  be,  as  at  present,  through  east- 
ern America,  but  through  the  great  rivers  which  communicate  by 
the  Mississippi  with  the  ocean,  at  New  Orleans.  In  this  view  we 
approximate  to  Europe,  as  we  proceed  to  the  west. 

The  upward  navigation  of  these  streams  is  already  coming 
under  the  controul  of  steam,  an  invention  which  promises  to  be  of 
incalculable  importance  to  this  new  world. 

Such  is  the  reasoning  which  impels  us  still  forward;  and  in  a 
few  days  we  propose  setting  out  to  explore  the  state  of  Indiana, 
and  probably  the  Illinois.  With  so  long  a  journey  before  us,  we 
are  not  comfortable  under  the  prospect  of  separation.  Our  plan 
had  been  to  lodge  our  main  party  at  Cincinnati,  until  we  had 


174  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

fixed  on  our  final  abode;  but  this  was  before  our  prospects  had 
taken  so  wide  a  range.  We  now  talk  of  Vincennes,  as  we  did  before 
of  this  place,  and  I  trust  we  shall  shortly  be  again  under  weigh. 

June  27.  Cincinnati. — All  are  alive  here  as  soon  as  the  day 
breaks.  The  stores  are  open,  the  markets  thronged,  and  business 
is  in  full  career  by  five  o'clock  in  the  morning;  and  nine  o'clock  is 
the  common  hour  for  retiring  to  rest. 

As  yet  I  have  felt  nothing  oppressive  in  the  heat  of  this  cli- 
mate. Melting,  oppressive,  sultry  nights,  succeeding  broiling 
days,  and  forbidding  rest,  which  are  said  to  wear  out  the  frames  of 
the  languid  inhabitants  of  the  eastern  cities,  are  unknown  here. 
A  cool  breeze  always  renders  the  night  refreshing,  and  generally 
moderates  the  heat  of  the  day. 

June  28.  The  numerous  creeks  in  this  country,  which  are  apt 
to  be  swelled  suddenly  by  heavy  rains,  render  travelling  perplex- 
ing, and  even  perilous  to  strangers,  in  a  showery  season  like  the 
present.  On  my  way  this  morning  from  an  excursion  of  about 
fifteen  miles,  to  view  an  estate,  a  man  who  was  mowing  at  some 
distance  from  the  road,  hailed  me  with  the  common,  but  to  us 
quaint  appellation  of  "stranger": — I  stopped  to  learn  his  wishes. 
"Are  you  going  to  ride  the  creek?"  "I  know  of  no  creek,"  said  I; 
"but  I  am  going  to  Cincinnati." — "I  guess  it  will  swim  your  horse." 
"How  must  I  avoid  it?"  "Turn  on  your  left,  and  go  up  to  the 
mill,  and  you  will  find  a  bridge."  Now  if  this  kind  man  had  rested 
on  his  scythe,  and  detained  the  "stranger"  a  few  minutes,  to  learn 
his  country,  his  name,  and  the  object  of  his  journey,  as  he  prob- 
ably would  had  he  been  nearer  to  the  road,  he  would  but  have 
evinced  another  trait  of  the  friendly  character  of  these  good 
Americans. 

In  this  land  of  plenty,  young  people  first  marry,  and  then 
look  out  for  the  means  of  a  livelihood  without  fear,  or  cause  for  it. 
The  ceremony  of  marriage  is  performed  in  a  simple  family  way, 
in  my  opinion  more  delicate,  and  corresponding  to  the  nature  of  the 
contract,  than  the  glaring  publicity  adopted  by  some,  or  the 
secrecy,  not  so  respectable,  affected  by  others. 

The  near  relations  assemble  at  the  house  of  the  bride's  parents. 
The  minister  or  magistrate  is  in  attendance,  and  when  the  candi- 
dates make  their  appearance,  he  asks  them  severally  the  usual 
questions,  and  having  called  on  the  company  to  declare  if  there  be 
any  objections,  he  confirms  the  union  by  a  short  religious  formula; 
— the  bridegroom  salutes  the  bride,  and  the  ceremony  is  over. 
Tea  and  refreshments  follow.  Next  day  the  bridgegroom  holds  his 


MORRIS  BIRKBECK.  175 

levee,  his  numerous  friends  (and  sympathy  makes  them  numerous 
on  these  happy  occasions,)  pour  in  to  offer  their  congratulations 
Abundance  of  refreshments  of  the  most  substantial  kind  are  placed 
on  side-tables,  which  are  taken,  not  as  a  formal  meal,  but  as  they 
walk  up  and  down  the  apartments,  in  cheerful  conversation.  This 
running-meal  continues  from  noon  till  the  close  of  the  evening, 
the  bride  never  making  her  appearance  on  the  occasion;  an  example 
of  delicacy  worthy  the  imitation  of  more  refined  societies. 

June  28.  Cincinnati.  The  Merino  mania  seems  to  have  pre- 
vailed in  America  to  a  degree  exceeding  its  highest  pitch  in  Eng- 
land. In  Kentucky,  where  even  the  negroes  would  no  more  eat 
mutton  than  they  would  horseflesh,  there  were  great  Merino  breed- 
ers. There  was  and  is,  I  believe,  a  sheep  society  here,  to  encourage 
the  growth  of  fine  wool,  on  land  as  rich  as  the  deepest,  fattest 
vallies  of  our  island,  and  in  a  country  still  overwhelmed  with 
timber  of  the  heaviest  growth.  As  strange  and  incomprehensible 
an  infatuation  this,  and  as  inconsistent  with  plain  common  sense, 
as  the  determined  rejection  of  the  fine-woolled  race  by  the  Eng- 
lish breeders  of  short-wooled  sheep;  but  that  there  should  ever 
have  been  a  rage  for  sheep  of  any  kind  in  any  part  of  this  country 
that  I  have  seen,  must  be  owing  to  general  ignorance  of  the  con- 
stitution and  habits  of  this  animal.  There  is  not  a  district,  scarcely 
a  spot  that  I  have  travelled  over,  where  a  flock  of  fine-woolled 
sheep  could  be  kept  with  any  prospect  of  advantage,  provided 
there  were  even  a  market  for  the  carcase.  Yet  by  the  ragged 
remains  of  the  Merino  family,  which  may  be  recognized  in  many 
places,  I  perceive  that  the  attempt  has  been  very  general.  Mutton 
is  almost  as  abhorrent  to  an  American  palate,  or  fancy,  as  the  flesh 
of  swine  to  an  Israelite;  and  the  state  of  the  manufactures  does  not 
give  great  encouragement  to  the  growth  of  wool  of  any  kind;  of 
Merino  wool  less,  perhaps,  than  any  other.  Mutton  is  sold  in  the 
markets  of  Philadephia  at  about  half  the  price  of  beef;  and  the 
Kentuckian,  who  would  have  given  a  thousand  dollars  for  a  Merino 
ram,  would  dine  upon  dry  bread  rather  than  taste  his  own  mut- 
ton! A  few  sheep  on  every  farm,  to  supply  coarse  wool  for  domestic 
manufacture,  seems  to  be  all  that  ought  at  present  to  be  attempted, 
in  any  part  of  America  that  I  have  yet  seen. 

I  have  heard  that  in  the  western  part  of  Virginia  sheep  are 
judiciously  treated,  and  kept  to  advantage,  and  that  there  exists 
in  that  country  no  prejudice  against  the  meat:  also  that  the  north- 
eastern states  have  good  sheep  pastures,  and  a  moderate  dislike  of 


176  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

mutton:  to  these,  of  course,  my  remarks  on  sheep  husbandry  are 
not  applicable.  Deep  woods  are  not  the  proper  abodes  of  sheep. 

When  America  shall  have  cleared  away  her  forests,  and  opened 
her  uplands  to  the  breezes,  they  will  soon  be  covered  with  fine 
turf,  and  flocks  will  be  seen  ranging  over  them  here,  as  in  other 
parts  of  the  world.  Anticipation  often  retards  improvement,  by 
giving  birth  to  prejudice. 

There  are  about  two  thousand  people  regularly  employed  as 
boatmen  on  the  Ohio,  and  they  are  proverbially  ferocious  and 
abandoned  in  their  habits,  though  with  many  exceptions,  as  I 
have  good  grounds  for  believing.  People  who  settle  along  the  line 
of  this  grand  navigation  generally  possess  or  acquire  similar  habits; 
and  thus  profligacy  of  manners  seems  inseparable  from  the 
population  on  the  banks  of  these  great  rivers.  It  is  remarked, 
indeed,  every  where,  that  inland  navigators  are  worse  than  sailors. 

This  forms  a  material  objection  to  a  residence  on  the  Ohio, 
outweighing  all  the  beauty  and  local  advantages  of  such  a  situa- 
tion. 

July  6.  We  are  now  at  the  town  of  Madison,  on  our  way 
through  the  State  of  Indiana  towards  Vincennes.  This  place  is  on 
the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  about  seventy-five  miles  from  Cincinnati. 

Our  road  has  been  mostly  from  three  to  six  miles  from  the  river, 
passing  over  fertile  hills  and  alluvial  bottoms. 

The  whole  is  appropriated;  but  although  settlements  multiply 
daily,  many  large  intervals  remain  between  the  clearings. 

Indiana  is  evidently  newer  than  the  state  of  Ohio;  and  if  I 
mistake  not,  the  character  of  the  settlers  is  different,  and  superior 
to  that  of  the  first  settlers  in  Ohio,  who  were  generally  very  indi- 
gent people:  those  who  are  now  fixing  themselves  in  Indiana  bring 
with  them  habits  of  comfort,  and  the  means  of  procuring  the  con- 
veniences of  life;  I  observe  this  in  the  construction  of  their  cabins 
and  the  neatness  surrounding  them,  and  especially  in  their  well- 
stocked  gardens,  so  frequent  here  and  so  rare  in  the  state  of  Ohio, 
where  their  earlier  and  longer  settlement  would  have  afforded 
them  better  opportunities  of  making  this  great  provision  for  domes- 
tic comfort. 

I  have  also  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  many  families  of  healthy 
children;  and  from  my  own  continued  observation,  confirmed  by 
the  testimony  of  every  competent  evidence  that  has  fallen  in  my 
way,  I  repeat,  with  still  more  confidence,  that  the  diseases  so 
alarming  to  all  emigrants,  and  which  have  been  fatal  to  so  many, 
are  not  attached  to  the  climate,  but  to  local  situation.  Repeti- 


MORRIS  BIRKBECK.  177 

tions  will  be  excused  on  this  important  subject.  Hills  on  a  dry 
soil  are  healthy,  after  some  progress  has  been  made  in  clearing; 
for  deep  and  close  woods  are  not  salubrious  either  to  new  comers 
or  old  settlers.  The  neighbourhood  of  overflowing  streams,  and 
all  wet,  marshy  soils,  are  productive  of  agues  and  bilious  fevers  in 
the  autumn. 

Such  is  the  influx  of  strangers  into  this  state,  that  the  industry 
of  the  settlers  is  severely  taxed  to  provide  food  for  themselves, 
and  a  superfluity  for  new  comers :  and  thus  it  is  probable  there  will 
be  a  market  for  all  the  spare  produce,  for  a  series  of  years,  owing 
to  the  accession  of  strangers,  as  well  as  the  rapid  internal  growth 
of  population.  This  is  a  favourable  condition  of  a  new  colony, 
which  has  not  been  calculated  on  by  those  who  take  a  distant  view 
of  the  subject.  This  ye&r  Kentucky  has  sent  a  supply  in  aid  of 
this  hungry  infant  state. 

July  7.  I  have  good  authority  for  contradicting  a  supposition 
that  I  have  met  with  in  England,  respecting  the  inhabitants  of 
Indiania, — that  they  are  lawless,  semi-barbarous  vagabonds, 
dangerous  to  live  among.  On  the  contrary,  the  laws  are  respected, 
and  are  effectual;  and  the  manners  of  the  people  are  kind  and 
gentle  to  each  other,  and  to  strangers. 

An  unsettled  country,  lying  contigious  to  one  that  is  settled,  is 
always  a  place  of  retreat  for  rude  and  even  abandoned  characters, 
who  find  the  regulations  of  society  intolerable;  and  such,  no  doubt, 
had  taken  up  their  unfixed  abode  in  Indiana.  These  people  retire, 
with  the  wolves,  from  the  regular  colonists,  keeping  always  to  the 
outside  of  civilized  settlements.  They  rely  for  their  subsistence  on 
their  rifle,  and  a  scanty  cultivation  of  corn,  and  live  in  great 
poverty  and  privation,  a  degree  only  short  of  the  savage  state  of 
Indians. 

Of  the  present  settlers,  as  I  have  passed  along  from  house  to 
house,  I  could  not  avoid  receiving  a  most  favourable  impression. 
I  would  willingly  remain  among  them,  but  pre-occupation  sends 
us  still  forward  in  the  steps  of  the  roaming  hunters  I  have  just 
described,  some  of  whom  we  shall  probably  dislodge  when  we  make 
our  settlement,  which,  like  theirs,  will  probably  be  in  the  con- 
fines of  society. 

As  to  the  inhabitants  of  towns,  the  Americans  are  much 
alike,  as  far  as  we  have  had  an  opportunity  of  judging.  We  look 
in  vain  for  any  striking  difference  in  the  general  deportment  and 
appearance  of  the  great  bulk  of  Americans,  from  Norfolk  on  the 
eastern  coast,  to  the  town  of  Madison  in  Indiana.  The  same  good- 

T— 12 


178  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

looking,  well-dressed  (not  what  we  call  gentlemanly)  men  appear 
every  where.  Nine  out  of  ten,  native  Americans,  are  tall  and  long- 
limbed,  approaching,  or  even  exceeding  six  feet;  in  pantaloons  and 
Wellington  boots,  either  marching  up  and  down  with  their  hands 
in  their  pockets,  or  seated  on  chairs  poised  on  the  hind-feet, 
and  the  backs  rested  against  the  walls.  If  a  hundred  Americans 
of  any  class  were  to  seat  themselves,  ninety-nine  would  shuffle 
their  chairs  to  the  true  distance,  and  then  throw  themselves  back 
against  the  nearest  prop.  The  women  exhibit  a  great  similarity  of 
tall,  relaxed  forms,  with  consistent  dress  and  demeanour;  and  are 
not  remarkable  for  sprightliness  of  manners.  Intellectual  culture 
has  not  yet  made  much  progress  among  the  generality  of  either  sex 
where  I  have  travelled ;  but  the  men  have  greatly  the  advantage  in 
the  means  of  acquiring  information,  from  their  habits  of  travelling, 
and  intercourse  with  strangers : — sources  of  improvement  from 
which  the  other  sex  is  unhappily  too  much  secluded. 

Lexington.  This  town  is  only  three  years  old.  Madison  dates 
its  origin  two  years  farther  back.  Yet,  much  as  has  been  done  dur- 
ing this  short  period,  and  much  as  there  remains  to  do,  we  see  in 
every  village  and  town,  as  we  pass  along,  groups  of  young  able- 
bodied  men,  who  seem  to  be  as  perfectly  at  leisure  as  the  loungers 
of  ancient  Europe.  This  love  of  idleness  where  labour  is  so  profit- 
able and  effective,  is  a  strange  affection.  I  have  no  notion  of  life 
as  a  pleasurable  thing,  except  where  connected  with  action. 
Rest  is  certainly  a  delightful  sensation,  but  it  implies  previous 
labour:  there  is  no  rest  for  the  indolent,  any  more  than  for  the 
wicked:  "They  yawn  and  stretch,  but  find  no  rest." — I  suspect 
that  indolence  is  the  epidemic  evil  of  the  Americans.  If  you 
enquire  of  hale  young  fellows,  why  they  remain  in  this  listless 
state — "We  live  in  freedom,"  they  say,  "we  need  not  work  like 
the  English."  Thus  they  consider  it  their  privilege  to  do  noth- 
ing. But  the  trees  of  the  forest  are  still  more  highly  privileged  in 
this  sort  of  passive  existence,  this  living  to  do  nothing;  for  they  are 
fed  and  exercised  without  any  toil  at  all;  the  trees,  "sua  si  bona 
norint,"  did  they  but  know  their  bliss,  might  be  objects  of  envy 
to  many  a  tall  young  American. 

July  12.  Hawkins's  Tavern,  sixteen  miles  east  of  Vincennes. 
On  traversing  the  state  of  Indiana  to  this  place,  I  retain  the  same 
idea  as  to  the  character  of  the  settlers  that  struck  me  on  our 
entrance.  They  are  an  order  of  colonists  somewhat  higher  than 
the  first  settlers  of  their  sister  state.  There  remains,  however,  a 
considerable  number  of  backwoods'  men,  somewhat  savage  in 


MORRIS  BIRKBECK.  179 

character,  and  who  look  on  new  comers  as  intruders.  The  accom- 
modation for  travellers  will  soon  be  greatly  superior  to  those  in 
the  Ohio  state,  as  are  those  of  the  Ohio  to  the  taverns  of  Penn- 
sylvania, west  of  the  mountains. 

The  country,  from  the  town  of  Madison  to  the  Camp  Tavern, 
is  not  interesting,  and  great  part  of  it  is  but  of  medium  quality. 
At  the  latter  place  commences  a  broken  country,  approaching  to 
niountainous,  which,  if  well  watered,  would  form  a  fine  grazing 
district;  but  the  little  streams  are  now  dried  up,  notwithstanding 
the  late  copious  rains.  This  beautiful  country  continues  as  far  as 
Sholt's  Tavern,  on  White  River,  thirty-six  miles  east  of  Vincennes. 
Most  of  this  hilly  distict  is  unentered,  and  remains  open  to  the 
public  at  two  dollars  per  acre. 

Our  rear  party,  consisting  of  one  of  the  ladies,  a  servant  boy, 
and  myself,  were  benighted,  in  consequence  of  accidental  deten- 
tion at  the  foot  of  one  of  these  rugged  hills;  and,  without  being  well 
provided,  were  compelled  to  make  our  first  experiment  of  "camp- 
ing out." 

A  traveller  in  the  woods  should  always  carry  flint,  steel,  tinder, 
and  matches;  a  few  biscuits,  a  half-pint  phial  of  spirits,  and  a  tin 
cup;  a  large  knife  or  tomahawk;  then  with  his  two  blankets,  and 
his  great  coat  and  umbrella,  he  need  not  be  uneasy  should  any 
unforeseen  delay  require  his  sleeping  under  a  tree. 

Our  party  having  separated,  the  important  articles  of  tinder 
and  matches  were  in  the  baggage  of  the  division  which  had  pro- 
ceeded, and  as  the  night  was  rainy  and  exceedingly  dark,  we 
were  for  some  time  under  some  anxiety  lest  we  should  have  been 
deprived  of  the  comfort  and  security  of  a  fire.  Fortunately,  my 
powder-flask  was  in  my  saddle-bags,  and  we  succeeded  in  sup- 
plying the  place  of  tinder  by  moistening  a  piece  of  paper  and  rub- 
bing it  with  gun-powder.  We  placed  our  touch-paper  on  an  old 
cambric  handkerchief,  as  the  most  readily  combustible  article  in 
our  stores.  On  this  we  scattered  gunpowder  pretty  copiously, 
and  our  flint  and  steel  soon  enabled  us  to  raise  a  flame,  and  col- 
ecting  dry  wood,  we  made  a  noble  fire.  There  was  a  mattrass 
for  the  lady,  a  bearskin  for  myself,  and  the  load  of  the  packhorse 
as  a  pallet  for  the  boy.  Thus,  by  means  of  great  coats  and  blankets 
and  our  umbrellas  spread  over  our  heads,  we  made  our  quarters 
comfortable,  and  placing  ourselves  to  the  leeward  of  the  fire,  with 
our  feet  towards  it,  we  lay  more  at  ease  than  in  the  generality 
of  taverns.  Our  horses  fared  rather  worse,  but  we  took  care  to 
tie  them  where  they  could  browse  a  little,  and  occasionally  shifted 


180  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

their  quarters.  We  had  a  few  biscuits,  a  small  bottle  of  spirits, 
and  a  phial  of  oil:  with  the  latter  we  contrived,  by  twisting  some 
twine  very  hard,  and  dipping  it  in  the  oil,  to  make  torches;  and 
after  several  fruitless  attempts  we  succeeded  in  finding  water; 
we  also  collected  plenty  of  dry  wood.  "Camping  out"  when  the 
tents  are  pitched  by  daylight,  and  the  party  is  ready  furnished 
with  the  articles  which  we  were  obliged  to  supply  by  expedients,  is 
quite  pleaasnt  in  fine  weather:  my  companion  was  exceedingly  ill, 
which  was,  in  fact,  the  cause  of  our  being  benighted;  and  never 
was  the  night's  charge  of  a  sick  friend  undertaken  with  more  dis- 
mal forebodings,  especially  during  our  ineffectual  efforts  to  obtain 
fire,  the  first  blaze  of  which  was  unspeakably* delightful;  after 
this  the  rain  ceased,  and  the  invalid  passed  the  night  in  safety; 
so  that  the  morning  found  us  more  comfortable  than  we  could  have 
anticipated. 

It  has  struck  me  as  we  have  passed  along  from  one  poor 
hut  to  another  among  the  rude  inhabitants  of  this  infant  state, 
that  travellers  in  general,  who  judge  by  comparison,  are  not  qual- 
ified to  form  a  fair  estimate  of  these  lonely  settlers.  Let  a  stranger 
make  his  way  through  England  in  a  course  remote  from  the  great 
roads,  and  going  to  no  inns,  take  such  entertainment  only  as  he 
might  find  in  the  cottages  of  labourers,  he  would  have  as  much 
cause  to  complain  of  the  rudeness  of  the  people,  and  far  more  of 
their  drunkenness  and  profligacy  than  in  these  back  woods, 
although  in  England  the  poor  are  a  part  of  a  society  where  insti- 
tutions are  matured  by  the  experience  of  two  thousand  years.  The 
bulk  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  vast  wilderness  may  be  fairly  con- 
sidered as  of  the  class  of  the  lowest  English  peasantry,  or  just 
emerging  .from  it:  but  in  their  manners  and  morals,  and  espe- 
cially in  their  knowledge  and  proud  independence  of  mind,  they 
exhibit  a  contrast  so  striking,  that  he  must  indeed  be  a  petit 
maitre  traveller,  or  ill-informed  of  the  character  and  circum- 
stances of  his  poor  countrymen,  or  deficient  in  good  and  manly 
sentiment,  who  would  not  rejoice  to  transplant,  into  these  bound- 
less regions  of  freedom,  the  millions  whom  he  has  left  behind  him 
grovelling  in  ignorance  and  want. 

Vincennes,  July  13.  This  town  is  scattered  over  a  plain  lying 
some  feet  lower  than  the  banks  of  the  Wabash : — a  situation  seem- 
ingly unfavourable  to  health;  and  in  fact  agues  and  bilious  fevers 
are  frequent  in  the  autumn. 

The  road  from  Sholt's  Tavern  to  this  place,  thirty-six  miles,  is 
partly  across  "barrens,"  that  is,  land  of  middling  quality,  thinly 


MORRIS  BIRKBECK.  181 

set  with  timber,  or  covered  with  long  grass  and  shrubby  under- 
wood; generally  level  and  dry,  and  gaudy  with  marigolds,  sun- 
flowers, martagon  lilies,  and  many  other  brilliant  flowers;  small 
"prairies,"  which  are  grass  lands,  free  from  underwood,  and  gen- 
erally somewhat  marshy,  and  rich  bottom  land:  on  the  whole, 
the  country  is  tame,  poorly  watered,  and  not  desirable  as  a  place 
of  settlement;  but  it  is  pleasant  to  travel  over  from  its  varied 
character. 

Vincennes  exhibits  a  motley  assemblage  of  inhabitants  as  well 
as  visitors.  The  inhabitants  are  Americans,  French,  Canadians, 
Negroes;  the  visitors,  among  whom  our  party  is  conspicuous  as 
English,  (who  are  seldom  seen  in  these  parts,)  Americans  from 
various  states,  and  Indians  of  various  nations, — Shawnees,  Dela- 
wares,  and  Miamies,  who  live  about  a  hundred  miles  to  the  north- 
ward, and  who  are  come  here  to  trade  for  skins.  The  Indians  are 
encamped  in  considerable  numbers  round  the  town,  and  are 
continually  riding  in  to  the  stores  and  the  whiskey  shops.  Their 
horses  and  accoutrements  are  generally  mean,  and  their  persons 
disagreeable.  Their  faces  are  painted  in  various  ways,  which 
mostly  gives  a  ferocity  to  their  aspects. 

One  of  them,  a  Shawnee,  whom  we  met  a  few  miles  east  of  Vin- 
cennes, had  his  eyes,  or  rather  his  eyelids  and  surrounding  parts, 
daubed  with  vermillion,  looking  hideous  enough  at  a  distance,  but 
on  a  nearer  view,  he  has  good  features,  and  is  a  fine,  stout,  fierce 
looking  man,  well  remembered  at  Vincennes  for  the  trouble  he 
gave  during  the  late  war.  This  man  exhibits  a  respectable  beard, 
enough  for  a  Germanized  British  officer  of  dragoons.  Some  of 
them  are  well  dressed  and  good-looking  people :  one  young  man  in 
particular,  of  the  Miami  nation,  had  a  clear  light  blue  cotton 
vest  with  sleeves,  and  his  head  ornamented  with  black  feathers. 

They  all  wear  pantaloons,  or  rather  long  mocassions  of  buck- 
skin, covering  the  foot  and  leg  and  reaching  half  way  up  the  thigh, 
which  is  bare;  a  covering  of  cloth,  passing  between  the  thighs  and 
hanging  behind,  like  an  apron,  of  a  foot  square.  Their  complexion 
is  various,  some  dark,  others  not  so  swarthy  as  myself;  but  I  saw 
none  of  the  copper  colour  which  I  had  imagined  to  be  their  uni- 
versal distinctive  mark.  .  They  are  addicted  to  spirits,  and  often 
intoxicated,  but  even  then  generally  civil  and  good  humoured. 
The  Indians  are  said  to  be  partial  to  the  French  traders,  thinking 
them  fairer  than  the  English  or  Americans.  They  use  much  action 
in  their  discourse,  and  laugh  immoderately.  Their  hair  is  straight 
and  black,  and  their  eyes  dark.  The  women  are,  many  of  them, 


182  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

decently  tJressed  and  good-looking;  they  ride  sometimes  like  the 
men,  but  sidr-saddles  are  not  uncommon  among  them.  Few  of 
them  of  either  stx  speak  English;  but  many  of  the  people  here  speak 
a  variety  of  the  Indian  languages. 

In  the  interior  of  Illinois  the  Indians  are  said  sometimes  to  be 
troublesome,  by  giving  abusive  language  to  travellers,  and  steal- 
ing their  horses  when  they  encamp  in  the  woods;  but  they  never 
commit  personal  outrage. — Watchful  dogs,  and  a  rifle,  are  the  best 
security;  but  I  believe  we  shall  have  no  reason  to  fear  interruption 
in  the  quarter  to  which  we  are  going. 

At  this  remote  place  we  find  ourselves  in  a  comfortable  tavern, 
and  surrounded  by  genteel  and  agreeable  people.  Our  company 
at  supper  was  about  thirty. 

The  health  of  our  party  has  been  a  source-  of  some  anxiety, 
increasing  as  the  summer  advances;  and  yet  we  have  entirely 
escaped  the  diseases  to  wrhich  the  country,  or  climate,  or  both,  are 
said  to  be  liable;  but  our  approach  to  the  Wabash  has  not  been 
without  some  painful  forebodings. 

We  have  remarked,  en  passant,  that  people  generally  speak 
favourably  of  their  own  country,  and  exaggerate  every  objection 
or  evil,  when  speaking  of  those  to  which  we  are  going:  thus  it  may 
be  that  the  accounts  we  have  received  of  the  unhealthiness  of  this 
river  and  its  vicinity,  have  been  too  deeply  coloured.  We  are 
accordingly  greatly  relieved  by  the  information  we  have  received 
here  on  this  subject.  The  Wabash  has  not  overflowed  its  banks 
this  summer,  and  no  apprehensions  are  now  entertained  as  to  the 
sickly  season  of  August  and  September. 

July  18.  Princeton. — W^e,  in  Great  Britian,  -are  so  circum- 
scribed in  our  movements  that  miles  with  us  seem  equal  to  tens  in 
America.  I  believe  that  travellers  here  will  start  on  an  expedi- 
tion of  three  thousand  miles  by  boats,  on  horseback,  or  on  foot, 
with  as  little  deliberation  or  anxiety  as  we  should  set  out  on  a 
journey  of  three  hundred. 

Five  hundred  persons  every  summer  pass  down  the  Ohio 
from  Cincinnati  to  New  Orleans,  as  traders  or  boatmen,  and 
return  on  foot.  By  water  the  distance  is  seventeen  hundred  miles, 
and  the  walk  back  a  thousand.  Many  go  down  to  New  Orleans 
from  Pittsburg,  which  adds  five  hundred  miles  to  the  distance  by 
water,  and  three  hundred  by  land.  The  store-keepers  (country 
shopkeepers  we  should  call  them)  of  these  western  towns  visit  the 
eastern  ports  of  Baltimore,  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  once  a 
year,  to  lay  in  their  stock  of  goods;  an  evidence,  it  might  seem,  of 


MORRIS  BIRKBECK.  183 

want  of  confidence  in  the  merchants  of  those  places;  but  the  great 
variety  of  articles,  and  the  risk  attending  their  carriage  to  so 
great  a  distance  by  land  and  water,  render  it  necessary  that  the 
store-keepers  should  attend  both  to  their  purchase  and  con- 
veyance. 

I  think  the  time  is  at  hand  when  these  periodical  transmontane 
journeys  are  to  give  place  to  expeditions  down  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi to  New  Orleans.  The  vast  and  increasing  produce  of  these 
states  in  grain,  flour,  cotton,  sugar,  tobacco,  peltry,  timber.  &c. 
&c.  which  finds  a  ready  vent  at  New  Orleans,  will  be  returned 
through  the  same  channel,  in  the  manufactures  of  Europe  and  the 
luxuries  of  the  east,  to  supply  the  growing  demands  of  this  west- 
ern world.  How  rapidly  this  demand  actually  increases  it  is  utterly 
impossible  to  estimate;  but  some  idea  of  it  may  be  formed  from  a 
general  view  of  the  cause  and  manners  of  its  gowth.  In  round  num- 
bers there  are  probably  half  a  million  of  inhabitants  in  Ohio, 
Indiana  and  Illinois.  Immigration  (if  I  may  be  allowed  to  bor- 
row a  new  but  good  word,)  and  births,  will  probably  double  this 
number  in  about  six  years;  and  in  the  mean  time,  the  prosperous 
circumstances  of  almost  every  family  are  daily  creating  new  wants, 
and  awakening  fresh  necessities. 

On  any  spot  where  a  few  settlers  cluster  together,  attracted 
by  ancient  neighbourhood,  or  by  the  goodness  of  the  soil,  or  vicin- 
ity to  a  mill,  or  by  whatever  cause,  some  enterprising  proprietor 
finds  in  his  section  what  he  deems  a  good  scite  for  a  town:  he  has  it 
surveyed  and  laid  out  in  lots,  which  he  sells,  or  offers  for  sale  by 
auction. 

The  new  town  then  assumes  the  name  of  its  founder: — a 
store-keeper  builds  a  little  framed  store,  and  sends  for  a  few 
cases  of  goods;  and  then  a  tavern  starts  up,  which  becomes  the 
residence  of  a  doctor  and  a  lawyer,  and  the  boarding-house  of  the 
store-keeper,  as  well  as  the  resort  of  the  weary  traveller :  soon  fol- 
low a  blacksmith  and  other  handicraftsmen  in  useful  succession :  a 
school-master,  who  is  also  the  minister  of  religion,  becomes  an 
important  accession  to  this  rising  community.  Thus  the  town 
proceeds,  if  it  proceeds  at  all,  writh  accumulating  force,  until  it 
becomes  the  metropolis  of  the  neighborhood.  Hundreds  of  these 
speculations  may  have  failed,  but  hundreds  prosper;  and  thus 
trade  begins  and  thrives  as  population  grows  around  these  lucky 
spots;  imports  and  exports  maintaining  their  just  proportion. 
One  year  ago  the  neighbourhood  of  this  very  town  of  Princetown 


184  EAKLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

was  clad  in  "buckskin;"  now  the  men  appear  at  church  in  good 
blue  cloth,  and  the  women  in  fine  calicoes  and  straw  bonnets. 

The  town  being  fairly  established,  a  cluster  of  inhabitants, 
small  as  it  may  be,  acts  as  a  stimulus  on  the  cultivation  of  the 
neighbourhood:  redundancy  of  supply  is  the  consequence,  and  this 
demands  a  vent.  Water  mills,  or  in  defect  of  water  power,  steam 
mills,  rise  on  the  nearest  navigable  stream,  and  thus  an  effectual 
and  constant  market  is  secured  for  the  increasing  surplus  of  pro- 
duce. Such  are  the  elements  of  that  accumulating  mass  of  com- 
merce, in  exports,  and  consequent  imports,  which  will  render  the 
Mississippi  the  greatest  thoroughfare  in  the  world. 

At  Vincennes,  the  foundation  is  just  laid  of  a  large  establish- 
ment of  mills  to  be  worked  by  steam.  Water  mills  of  great  power 
are  now  building  on. the  Wabash,  near  Harmony,  and  undertak- 
ings of  a  similar  kind  will  be  called  for  and  executed  all  along  this 
river,  which,  with  its  tributary  rivers,  several  of  which  are  also 
navigable  from  the  east  and  the  west,  is  the  outlet  of  a  very  rich 
and  thickly  settling  country,  comprising  the  prime  of  Indiana  and  a 
valuable  portion  of  the  Illinois,  over  the  space  of  about  one  hun- 
dred thousand  square  miles. 

There  is  nothing  in  Vincennes,  on  its  first  appearance,  to  make 
a  favourable  impression  on  a  stranger;  but  it  improves  on  acquaint- 
ance, for  it  contains  agreeable  people;  and  there  is  a  spirit  of  clean- 
liness, and  even  neatness  in  their  houses  and  manner  of  living: 
there  is  also  a  strain  of  politeness,  which  marks  the  origin  of  this 
settlement  in  a  way  which  is  very  flattering  to  the  French. 

It  is  a  phenomenon  in  national  character  which  I  cannot 
explain,  but  the  fact  will  not  be  disputed,  that  the  urbanity  of 
manners  which  distinguishes  that  nation  from  all  others  is  never 
entirely  lost;  but  that  French  politeness  remains  until  every  trace 
of  French  origin  is  obliterated.  A  Canadian  Frenchman  who,  after 
having  spent  twenty  years  of  his  prime  among  the  Indians,  set- 
tles in  the  back  woods  of  the  United  States,  still  retains  a  strong 
impression  of  French  good  breeding. 

Is  it  by  this  attractive  qualification  that  the  French  have 
obtained  such  sway  among  the  Indians?  I  think  it  may  be  attrib- 
uted with  as  much  probability  to  their  conciliating  manner,  as  to 
superior  integrity;  though  the  latter  has  been  the  cause  generally 
assigned. 

This  tenaciousness  of  national  character,  under  all  changes  of 
climate  and  circumstances,  of  which  the  French  afford  many 
remarkable  instances,  is  the  more  curious,  as  it  is  not  universal 


MORRIS  BIRKBECK.  185 

among  nations,  though  the  Germans  afford,  I  am  told,  examples 
equally  strong.  This  country  gives  favourable  opportunities  for 
observation  on  this  interesting  subject. 

What  is  it  that  distinguishes  an  Englishman  from  other  men? 
or  is  there  any  mark  of  national  character  which  neither  time, 
climate,  nor  circumstance  can  obliterate?  An  anglo-American  is 
not  English,  but  a  German  is  a  German,  and  a  Frenchman  French, 
to  the  fourth,  perhaps  to  the  tenth  generation. 

The  Americans  have  no  central  focus  of  fashion,  or  local  stand- 
ard of  politeness;  therefore  remoteness  can  never  be  held  as  an 
apology  for  sordid  dress  or  coarse  demeanour.  They  are  strangers 
to  rural  simplicity;  the  embarrassed  air  of  an  awkward  rustic,  so 
frequent  in  England,  is  rarely  seen  in  the  United  States.  This,  no 
doubt,  is  the  effect  of  political  equality,  the  consciousness  of  which 
accompanies  all  their  intercourse,  and  may  be  supposed  to  operate 
most  powerfully  on  the  manners  of  the  lowest  class:  for  high  and 
low  there  are,  and  will  be,  even  here,  and  in  every  society,  from 
causes  moral  and  physical,  which  no  political  regulations  can  or 
ought  to  controul. 

In  viewing  the  Americans,  and  sketching  in  a  rude  manner,  as 
I  pass  along,  their  striking  characteristics,  I  have  seen  a  deformity 
so  general  that  I  cannot  help  esteeming  it  national,  though  I 
know  it  admits  of  very  many  individual  exceptions.  I  have 
written  it  and  then  erased  it,  wishing  to  pass  it  by:  but  it  wont 
do: — it  is  the  truth,  and  to  the  truth  I  must  adhere.  Cleanliness 
in  houses,  and  too  often  in  person,  is  neglected  to  a  degree  which 
is  very  revolting  to  an  Englishman. 

America  was  bred  in  a  cabin:  this  is  not  a  reproach,  for  the 
origin  is  most  honourable;  but  as  she  has  exchanged  her  hovel  of 
unhewn  logs  for  a  framed  building,  and  that  again  for  a  mansion 
of  brick,  some  of  her  cabin  habits  have  been  unconsciously 
retained.  Many  have  already  been  quitted:  and,  one  by  one,  they 
will  all  be  cleared  away,  as  I  am  told  they  are  now  in  the  cities  of 
the  eastern  states. 

There  are,  I  believe,  court-houses,  which  are  also  made  use  of 
as  places  of  worship,  in  which  filth  of  all  kinds  has  been  accumulat- 
ing ever  since  they  were  built.  What  reverence  can  be  felt  for  the 
majesty  of  religion,  or  of  the  laws,  in  such  sites  of  abomination? 
The  people  who  are  content  to  assemble  in  them  can  scarcely 
respect  each  other. — Here  is  a  bad  public  example.  It  is  said, 
that  to  clean  these,  places  is  the  office  of  no  one:  but  why  is  no 


186  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

person  appointed?  Might  it  not  be  inferred  that  a  disregard  to 
the  decencies  of  life  prevails  through  such  a  community? 

July  19.  We  are  at  Princeton,  in  a  log  tavern,  where  neat- 
ness is  as  well  observed  as  at  many  taverns  in  the  city  of  Bath,  or 
any  city.  The  town  will  soon  be  three  years  old;  the  people  belong 
to  old  America  in  dress  and  manners,  and  would  not  disgrace  old 
England  in  the  general  decorum  of  their  deportment. 

But  I  lament  here,  as  every  where,  the  small  acocunt  that  is 
had  of  time.  Subsistence  is  secured  so  easily,  and  liberal  pur- 
suits being  yet  too  rare  to  operate  as  a  general  stimulus  to  exer- 
tion, life  is  whiled  away  in  a  painful  state  of  yawning  lassitude. 

July  20.  The  object  of  our  pursuit,  like  the  visions  of  fancy, 
has  hitherto  seemed  to  recede  from  our  approach:  we  are,  how- 
ever, at  length,  arrived  at  the  point  where  reality  is  likely  to  reward 
our  labours. 

Twenty  or  thirty  miles  west  of  this  place,  in  the  Illinois  terri- 
tory, is  a  large  country  where  settlements  are  just  now  beginning, 
and  where  there  is  abundant  choice  of  unentered  lands  of  a  descrip- 
tion which  will  satisfy  our  wishes,  if  the  statements  of  travellers 
and  surveyors  can  be  relied  on,  after  great  abatements. 

This  is  a  critical  season  of  the  year,  and  we  feel  some  anxiety 
for  the  health  of  our  party,  consisting  of  ten  individuals.  July 
and  the  two  succeeding  months  are  trying  to  the  constitutions  of 
new  comers,  and  this  danger  must  be  incurred  by  us;  we  hope, 
however,  under  circumstances  of  great  mitigation.  In  the  first 
place,  the  country  is  at  present  free  from  sickness,  and  the  floods 
were  too  early  in  the  spring  to  occasion  any  apprehensions  of  an 
unhealthy  autumn  to  the  inhabitants.  In  the  next  place,  we 
have  an  opportunity  of  choice  of  situation  for  our  temporary 
sojourn.  Unfortunately  this  opportunity  of  choice  is  limited  by 
the  scarcity  of  houses,  and  the  indifference  evinced  by  settlers  to 
the  important  object  of  health  in  the  fixing  their  own  habitations. 
The  vicinity  of  rivers,  from  the  advantages  of  navigation  and 
machinery,  as  well  as  the  fertility  of  soil,  have  generally  sus- 
pended a  proper  solicitude  about  health. 

Prince  Town  affords  a  situation  for  a  temporary  abode  more 
encouraging  than  any  place  we  have  before  visited  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood; it  stands  on  an  elevated  spot,  in  an  uneven  or  rolling 
country,  ten  miles  from  the  Wabash  and  two  from  the  navigable 
stream  of  the  Patok:  but  the  country  is  very  rich,  and  the  timber 
vast  in  bulk  and  height,  so  that  though  healthy  at  present  to  its 
inhabitants,  they  can  hardly  encourage  us  with. the  hope  of  escap- 


MORRIS  BIRKBECK.  187 

ing  the  seasoning  to  which  they  say  all  new  comers  are  subject. 
There  is  a  very  convenient  house  to  be  let  for  nine  months,  for 
which  we  are  in  treaty.  This  will  accommodate  us  until  our  own 
be  prepared  for  our  reception  in  the  spring,  and  may  be  rented, 
with  a  garden  well  stocked,  for  about  £20.  I  think  wre  shall  engage 
it,  and,  should  a  sickly  season  come  on,  recede  for  a  time  into  the 
high  country,  about  a  hundred  miles  back,  returning  here  to  win- 
ter wrhen  the  danger  is  past. 

As  to  travelling  in  the  backwoods  of  America  I  think  there  is 
none  so  agreeable,  after  you  have  used  yourself  to  repose  in  your 
own  pallet,  either  on  the  floor  of  a  cabin  or  under  the  canopy  of 
the  woods,  with  an  umbrella  over  your  head  and  a  noble  fire  at 
your  feet;  you  will  then  escape  the  only  serious  nuisance  of  Ameri- 
can travelling,  viz.  hot  rooms  and  swarming  beds,  exceeding 
instead  of  repairing  the  fatigues  of  the  day.  Some  difficulties 
occur  from  ferries,  awkward  fords,  and  rude  bridges,  with  occa- 
sional swamps;  but  such  is  the  sagacity  and  surefootedness  of  the 
horses  that  accidents  happen  very  rarely. 

July  21 .  This  is  an  efficient  government.  It  seems  that  some 
irregularities  exist,  or  are  suspected  in  the  proceedings  of  cer- 
tain of  the  offices  which  are  established  for  the  sale  of  public 
lands.  Whilst  we  were  at  Vincennes,  a  confidential  individual  from 
the  federal  city  made  his  appearance  at  the  land  office  there,  with 
authority  to  inspect  and  examine  on  the  spot.  Last  night  the 
same  gentleman  lodged  here,  on  his  way  to  the  land  office  of 
Shawnee  Town,  at  which  \ve  propose  to  make  our  entries,  where  he 
is  equally  unexpected  as  he  had  been  at  Vincennes,  and  where  his 
visit  is  somewhat  mal-a-propos  as  to  our  convenience.  One  of  the 
efficient  officers,  the  register,  had  been  left  by  us  sick  about  seventy 
miles  from  Cincinnati;  and  the  other,  the  receiver,  passed  this 
place  for  Vincennes  yesterday,  and  fixed  to  return  on  Sunday, 
in  order  to  proceed  with  me  through  the  woods  on  Monday,  on 
an  exploring  expedition  to  the  Illinois.  The  republican  delegate 
informed  me  immediately  on  his  arrival,  that  he  had  left  an  abso- 
lute injunction  for  the  instant  return  of  the  receiver  to  his  office, 
expressing  regret  at  deranging  my  plans,  at  the  same  time  mak- 
ing ample  amends  by  his  own  arrangement  for  my  accommodation. 

The  effect  produced  at  Vincennes  under  my  observation,  and 
the  decided  manner  of  this  gentleman,  convince  me  that  this  mode 
of  treatment  is  fully  as  effectual  as  that  by  "motion  for  the  pro- 
duction of  papers  and  committees  for  their  examination,"  by 


188  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

which  deliberate  procedure  the  inconvenience  of  suprize  is  politely 
obviated. 

July  23.  The  small-pox  is  likely  to  be  excluded  from  this 
state,  vaccination  being  very  generally  adopted,  and  inoculation 
for  the  small-pox  prohibited  altogether, — not  by  law,  but  by  com- 
mon consent.  If  it  should  be  known  that  an  individual  had  under- 
gone the  operation,  the  inhabitants  would  compel  him  to  with- 
draw entirely  from  society.  If  he  lived  in  a  town,  he  must  absent 
himself,  or  he  would  be  driven  off. 

Mental  derangement  is  nearly  unknown  in  these  new  coun- 
tries. There  is  no  instance  of  insanity  at  present  in  this  State, 
which  probably  now  contains  100.000  inhabitants.  A  middle- 
aged  man,  of  liberal  attainments  and  observation,  who  has  lived 
much  of  his  life  in  Kentucky,  and  has  travelled  a  good  deal  over 
the  western  country,  remarked,  as  an  incident  of  extraordinary 
occurrence,  that  he  once  knew  a  lady  afflicted  with  this  malady. 

The  simple  maxim,  that  a  man  has  a  right  to  do  any  thing  but 
injure  his  neighbour,  is  very  broadly  adopted  into  the  practical 
as  well  as  political  code  of  this  country. 

A  good  citizen  is  the  common  designation  of  respect;  when  a 
man  speaks  of  his  neighbour  as  a  virtuous  man — "he  is  a  very 
good  citizen." 

Drunkenness  is  rare,  and  quarrelling  rare  in  proportion.  Per- 
sonal resistance  to  personal  aggression,  or  designed  affront,  holds 
a  high  place  in  the  class  of  duties  with  the  citizen  of  Indiana. 

It  seems  that  the  Baptists  (who  are  the  prevailing  sect  in  this 
country,)  by  their  religious  tenets,  would  restrain  this  sum- 
mary mode  of  redressing  injuries  among  the  brethren  of  their 
church:  a  respectable  but  knotty  member  of  that  community  was 
lately  arraigned  before  their  spiritual  tribunal  for  supporting 
heterodox  opinions  on  this  subject.  After  hearing  the  arguments 
derived  from  the  texts  of  scripture,  which  favour  the  doctrine 
of  non-resistance,  he  rose,  and  with  energy  of  action  suited  to  his 
words,  declared  that  he  should  not  wish  to  live  longer  than  he  had 
the  right  to  knock  down  the  man  who  told  him  he  lied. 

July  2^.  Regretting,  as  I  must,  my  perpetual  separation 
from  many  with  thorn  I  was  in  habits  of  agreeable  intercourse  in 
old  England,  I  am  much  at  my  ease  on  the  score  of  society.  We 
shall  possess  this  one  thing  needful,  which  it  was  supposed  the 
wilderness  could  not  supply,  in  the  families  of  our  own  establish- 
ment, and  a  circle  of  citizen  neighbours,  such  as  this  little  town 
affords  already.  There  prevails  so  much  good  sense  and  useful 


MORRIS  BIRKBECK.  189 

knowledge,  joined  to  a  genuine  warmth  of  friendly  feeling,  a  dis- 
position to  promote  the  happiness  of  each  other,  that  the  man  who 
is  lonely  among  them  is  not  formed  for  society.  Such  are  the 
citizens  of  these  new  states,  and  my  unaffected  and  well  considered 
wish  is  to  spend  among  them  the  remainder  of  my  days. 

The  social  compact  here  is  not  the  confederacy  of  a  few  to 
reduce  the  many  into  subjection;  but  is,  indeed  and  in  truth, 
among  these  simple  republicans,  a  combination  of  talents,  moral 
and  physical,  by  which  the  good  of  all  is  promoted  in  perfect 
accordance  with  individual  interest.  It  is  in  fact  a  better,  because 
a  more  simple  state  than  was  ever  pourtrayed  by  an  Utopian 
theorist. 

But  the  people,  like  their  fellow  men,  have  their  irregular  and 
rude  passions,  and  their  gross  propensities  and  follies,  suited  to 
their  condition,  as  weeds  to  a  particular  soil;  so  that  this,  after  all, 
is  the  real  world,  and  no  poetical  Arcadia. 

One  agreeable  fact,  characteristic  of  these  young  associations, 
presses  more  and  more  upon  my  attention: — there  is  a  great 
amount  of  social  feeling,  much  real  society  in  new  countries,  com- 
pared with  the  number  of  inhabitants.  Their  importance  to  each 
other  on  many  interesting  occasions  creates  kind  sentiments. 
They  have  fellow-feeling  in  hope  and  fear,  in  difficulty  and  suc- 
cess, and  they  make  ten-fold  more  of  each  other  than  the  crowded 
inhabitants  of  populous  countries. 

July  25.  Harmony.  Yesterday  we  explored  the  country 
from  this  place  to  the  Ohio,  about  eighteen  miles,  and  returned 
to-day  by  a  different  route.  There  is  a  great  breadth  of  valuable 
land  vacant;  not  the  extremely  rich  river-bottom  land,  but  close 
cool  sand  of  excellent  quality.  It  is,  however,  not  so  well  watered, 
nor  so  much  varied  in  surface  as  is  desirable;  and  we  are  so  taken 
with  the  prairies  we  have  seen,  and  with  the  accounts  we  have 
heard  of  those  before  us  in  the  Illinois,  that  no  "timbered"  land 
can  satisfy  our  present  views. 

We  lodged  last  night  in  a  cabin  at  a  very  new  town,  called 
Mount  Vernon,  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio.  Here  we  found  the 
people  of  a  cast  confirming  my  aversion  to  a  settlement  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  of  a  large  navigable  river.  Every  hamlet  is 
demoralized,  and  every  plantation  is  liable  to  outrage  within  a 
short  distance  of  such  a  thoroughfare. 

Yet  the  view  of  that  noble  expanse  was  like  the  opening  of 
bright  day  upon  the  gloom  of  night,  to  us  who  had  been  so  long 
buried  in  deep  forests.  It  is  a  feeling  of  confinement  which  begins 


190  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

to  damp  the  spirits,  from  this  complete  exclusion  of  distant  objects. 
To  travel  day  after  day  among  trees  of  a  hundred  feet  high,  with- 
out a  glimpse  of  the  surrounding  country,  is  oppressive  to  a  degree 
which  those  cannot  conceive  who  have  not  experienced  it;  and  it 
must  depress  the  spirits  of  the  solitary  settler  to  pass  years  in  this 
state.  His  visible  horizon  extends  no  farther  than  the  tops  of  the 
trees  which  bound  his  plantation — perhaps,  five  hundred  yards. 
Upwards  he  sees  the  sun,  and  sky,  and  stars;  but  around  him  an 
eternal  forest,  from  which  he  can  never  hope  to  emerge : — not  so  in 
a  thickly  settled  district;  he  cannot  there  enjoy  any  freedom  of 
prospect,  yet  there  is  variety,  and  some  scope  for  the  imprisoned 
vision.  In  a  hilly  country  a  little  more  range  of  view  may  occasion- 
ally be  obtained ;  and  a  river  is  a  stream  of  light  as  well  as  of  water, 
which  feasts  the  eye  with  a  delight  inconceivable  to  the  inhab- 
itants of  open  countries. 

Under  these  impressions  a  prairie  country  increases  in  attrac- 
tion; and  to-morrow  we  shall  commence  a  round  in  the  Illinois, 
which  we  hope  will  enable  us  to  take  some  steps  towards  our  final 
establishment. 

July  26.  Left  Harmony  after  breakfast,  and  crossing  the 
Wabash  at  the  ferry,  three  miles  below,  we  proceeded  to  the  Big- 
Prairie,  where,  to  our  astonishment,  we  beheld  a  fertile  plain  of 
grass  and  arable,  and  some  thousand  acres  covered  with  corn, 
more  luxuriant  than  any  we  had  before  seen.  The  scene  reminded 
us  of  some  open  well  cultivated  vale  in  Europe,  surrounded  by 
wooded  uplands;  and  forgetting  that  we  were,  in  fact,  on  the  very 
frontiers,  beyond  which  few  settlers  had  penetrated,  we  were 
transported  in  idea  to  the  fully  peopled  regions  we  had  left  so  far 
behind  us. 


From  The  Emigrants  Guide  to  the  western  and  southwestern 
states  and  territories,  by  William  Darby  [1818], 
pp.  213-217. 

DARBY,  WILLIAM. 

Following  our  second  war  with  England,  there  was  a  great  rush  of  emi- 
grants into  the  western  and  southwestern  territories  of  the  United  States. 
This  created  quite  a  widespread  demand  for  an  emigrant's  guide;  and  among 
those  who  first  supplied  the  desired  information  was  Mr.  William  Darby. 
He  had  been  one  of  the  surveyors  in  adjusting  the  Louisiana  boundary,  was 
familiar  with  the  French  and  Spanish  land  claims,  and  perhaps  was  better 
qualified  than  any  one  else  to  publish  a  guide.  His  work  appeared  in  1817, 
and  accompanied  by  maps,  shows  all  the  available  roads,  streams  and  routes 
to  be  followed  by  the  emigrants. 

THE  STATE  OF  INDIANA,  has  the  Illinois  territory  west, 
the  state  of  Kentucky  southeast,  the  state  of  Ohio,  east,  and  the 
Michigan  territory,  and  lake  Michigan  and  the  Northwest  terri- 
tory, north. 

Extent,  population,  rivers,  productions.  This  state  covers  an 
area  of  36,640  square  miles,  equal  to  23,449,600  American  acres. 
More  than  one  half  of  this  surface  remains  yet  in  possession  of  the 
Indians.  The  southern  and  much  most  valuable  part  of  the  state 
is  reclaimed,  and  is  settling  with  emigrants  from  the  northern  and 
eastern  states  with  great  rapidity.  The  following  statistical  table 
exhibits  the  subdivisions  of  this  state,  and  the  population  in  1810. 
This  can  afford  but  very  defective  document  to  give  a  correct  idea 
of  the  present  state  of  the  country.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the 
number  of  inhabitants  have  increased  to  near  one  hundred  thou- 
sand at  the  present  time. 

STATISTICAL  TABLE  OF  INDIANA. 

Counties.  Population  Chief  Towns 

1810. 

Clark. " 5,760 Jeffersonville. 

Dearborn :  7 ,310 Lawrenceburg. 

Harrison 3,695 CORYDON. 

Jefferson 

Knox. .  .   7,965..  .  .Vincennes. 


24,610 

Since  the  last  census  of  1810,  the  new  counties  of  Washington, 
Switzerland,    Jefferson,    Wayne,    Gibson,    Posey,    and    Warwick, 

(191) 


192  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

have  been  formed.  The  distributive  population  of  the  state  of 
Indiana,  at  this  time,  as  well  as  the  aggregate  amount,  must  differ 
essentially  from  the  relative  position  and  numbers  found  seven 
years  past. 

The  rivers  of  the  state  of  Indiana,  are,  Ohio,  Wabash,  Illinois, 
and  Maumee. 

Ohio  river  washes  the  state  from  the  mouth  of  the  Great 
Miami,  to  that  of  the  Wabash,  a  distance,  following  the  bends  of 
the  stream  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  miles.  It  is  a  curious 
fact,  that  in  this  long  course,  no  stream,  above  the  size  of  a  large 
creek,  falls  into  the  Ohio  from  Indiana;  White  river  branch  of 
Wabash,  having  its  head-streams  within  thirty  miles  of  the  bank 
of  Ohio.  There  are  few  countries  in  the  world  can  much  exceed 
this  part  of  the  banks  of  the  Ohio.  The  lands  are  varied,  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  first  quality,  and  but  little  that  can  be 
really  considered  unproductive.  The  settlements  are  in  such  quick 
progress  as  to  render  a  description  only  necessarily  correct  for 
the  moment. 

Wabash  river  is  strictly  the  principal  stream  of  Indiana,  from 
the  surface  of  which  it  draws  the  far  greater  part  of  its  waters. 
The  head  branches  of  Wabash  is  in  the  Indian  country,  of  course 
very  imperfectly  explored.  This  river  rises  with  the  Maumee 
near  Fort  Wayne,  and  like  the  Illinois,  flows  to  the  west  through 
Indiana,  unto  almost  the  west  border  of  the  state,  where  the  river 
gradually  curves  to  S.  W.  by  S.,  which  course  it  maintains  to  its 
junction  with  the  Ohio.  The  entire  length  of  the  Wabash  exceeds 
three  hundred  miles;  it  is  a  fine  stream,  without  falls  or  extraor- 
dinary rapids.  It  was  through  the  channel  of  the  Wabash 
that  the  French  of  Canada  first  discovered  the  Ohio,  to  which  they 
gave  the  name  of  Belle  Riviere,  or  beautiful  river,  but  considered 
the  Wabash  the  main  branch,  and  gave  the  united  rivers  its  name. 
In  many  old  maps  of  North  America,  the  Ohio  below  the  junction 
of  the  two  streams,  is  called  Wabash.  The  Tennessee  was  then 
very  imperfectly  known,  and  considered  at  one-fourth  the  size  it 
was  found  to  possess  by  subsequent  discovery. 

White  River,  the  eastern  branch  of  Wabash,  is  itself  a  stream  of 
considerable  importance,  draining  the  heart,  and  far  the  finest 
part  of  the  state  of  Indiana.  About  forty  miles  above  its  junction 
with  the  Wabash,  White  river  divides  into  the  north  and  south 
branches.  North  branch  rises  in  the  Indian  country  by  a  number 
of  creeks,  which,  uniting  near  the  Indian  boundary  line;  forms  a 
fine  navigable  river  of  about  180  miles  in  length;  its  course  nearly 


WILLIAM  DARBY.  193 

S.  W.  South  branch  rises  in  the  same  ridges  with  the  White 
Water  branch  of  the  Great  Miami;  its  course  S.  W.  by  W.  150 
miles.  Upon  this  latter  river  many  of  the  most  flourishing  settle- 
ments in  the  state  have  been  formed.  The  country  it  waters  is 
amongst  the  most  agreeable,  healthy,  and  fertile  in  the  Ohio 
valley. 

Illinois  river  has  its  source  in  Indiana,  but  has  been  noticed 
when  treating  of  the  Illinois  territory. 

Maumee  rises  in  fact  in  the  state  of  Ohio,  near  Fort  Loramie, 
but  flowing  N.  W.  enters  the  state  of  Indiana,  turns  west,  encir- 
cles Fort  Wayne,  and  turning  N.  E.  again  enters  the  state  of  Ohio, 
through  which  it  flows  to  the  place  of  its  egress  into  Lake  Erie. 

The  southern  extremity  of  Lake  Michigan  penetrates  the  state 
of  Indiana,  and  at  or  near  its  extreme  south  elongation,  receives 
the  Calumet,  and  not  far  north  of  its  S.  E.  extension,  the  small 
river  St.  Joseph  enters  from  the  state  of  Indiana,  but  enters  the 
Michigan  lake  in  the  Michigan  territory. 

The  country  is  here  but  very  imperfectly  known;  even  the 
latitude  of  the  southern  extremity  of  Lake  Michigan  remains 
uncertain.  When  the  French  possessed  Canada  and  Louisiana, 
their  traders  constantly  passed  by  Chicago  into  Illinois,  and  by 
the  Maumee  into  the  Wabash,  in  their  voyages.  These  passages 
are  now  again  becoming  frequented,  and  will,  within  the  lapse  of  a 
few  years,  present  the  active  transport  of  commercial  wealth, 
and  the  daily  intercourse  of  civilized  men. 

It  may  be  doubted  whether  any  state  of  the  United  States,  all 
things  duly  considered,  can  present  more  advantages  than  Indiana. 
Intersected  or  bounded  in  all  directions  by  navigable  rivers  or 
lakes,  enjoying  a  temperate  climate,  and  an  immense  variety  of 
soil.  Near  two-thirds  of  its  territorial  surface  is  yet  in  the  hands 
of  the  Indians,  a  temporary  evil,  that  a  short  time  will  remedy. 
When  all  the  extent  comprised  within  the  legal  limits  of  this  state 
are  brought  into  a  state  of  improvement,  with  one  extremity  upon 
the  Ohio  river,  and  the  opposite  upon  Lake  Michigan,  with  inter- 
secting navigable  streams,  Indiana  will  be  the  real  link  that  will 
unite  the  southern  and  northern  parts  of  the  United  States.  The 
connexion  between  the  Canadian  lakes  and  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi rivers,  is  by  no  route  so  direct  as  through  Michigan  and 
Wabash,  and  by  Lake  Erie,  Maumee  and  Wabash.  The  route  by 
Lake  Michigan  and  the  Illinois  river  into  the  Mississippi  is  more 
circuitous  than  by  that  of  the  Wabash  into  either  Lakes  Michigan 
or  Erie,  and  the  route  through  Illinois  has  another  irremediable 

T— 13 


194  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

disadvantage,  that  of  being  in  a  more  northern  latitude  than  the 
Wabash. 

When  the  rivers  are  in  a  state  of  flood,  loaded  boats  of  consid- 
erable size  pass  from  the  head  waters  of  Wabash  into  St.  Mary 
river,  the  western  branch  of  the  Maumee;  the  same  facility  of  pass- 
age, exists  between  Maumee;  the  Chicago  into  the  Illinois  river.* 
These  facts  prove  two  things:  first,  the  almost  perfect  level  of  the 
country,  and  secondly,  the  great  ease  with  which  canals  can  be 
formed,  and  the  very  limited  expense  of  their  construction. 

In  the  present  state  of  population,  the  communication  by  the 
Wabash  and  Miami  of  the  Lakes  into  Lake  Erie,  must  produce 
advantages  of  greatly  more  extensive  benefit,  than  by  Lake  Mich- 
igan and  Illinois  river.  Many  years  must  elapse  before  either  is 
opened.  The  country  is  yet  wilderness,  and  the  right  of  soil  in 
the  aboriginal  inhabitants. 

Like  Illinois  territory,  the  state  of  Indiana  has  no  mountains; 
the  latter  is  however  more  hilly  than  the  former,  particularly 
towards  the  Ohio  river. 

The  southeastern  extremity  of  Indiana,  between  White  and 
Ohio  rivers,  is  very  broken.  A  ridge  of  hills  commences  above  the 
junction  of  the  Wabash  and  Ohio,  which  extending  in  a  N.  E. 
direction  through  Indiana,  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  is  finally  lost  in 
the  state  of  New- York.  This  ridge  in  Indiana  separates  the  waters 
of  Wabash  from  those  of  Ohio  river;  and  in  Ohio,  Pennsylvania, 
and  New- York,  forms  the  demarkation  between  the  streams 
which  flow  into  the  Canadian  lakes  from  those  which  discharge 
their  waters  into  the  Ohio.  No  part  of  this  ridge  is  very  elevated; 
its  component  parts  are  limestone  and  schistose  sandstone.  It  is 
barren  of  minerals  except  iron  and  coal. 

Towns — Vilages — Schools. — Corydon,  on  the  road  from  Louis- 
ville to  Vincennes,  is  now  the  seat  of  government.  This  town  is 
recent,  but  rapidly  improving.  The  number  of  its  houses  or  inhab- 
itants we  are  unable  to  state,  and  it  would  not,  if  now  accurately 
given,  remain  so  one  year. 

Vincennes,  upon  the  left  bank  of  the  Wabash,  is  the  oldest  and 
the  largest  town  in  the  state;  having  been  built  by  the  French  from 
Canada;  most- of  the  inhabitants  are  of  French  extraction.  The 
site  of  the  town  is  level,  and  when  in  its  natural  state,  was  an  exten- 
sive prairie.  The  lands  are  fertile  in  a  high  degree.  In  a  com- 
mercial point  of  view,  the  position  of  this  town  is  very  advanta- 
geous, and  must  advance  rapidly.  Standing  upon  the  limit  of  two 

*See  Drake's  Cincinnati,  page  222  and  223.     Volney,  Paris  edition,  Vol.  I.  page  29. 


WILLIAM  DARBY.  195 

territorial  divisions,  Vincennes  cannot  ever  again  become  the  seat 
of  government,  a  loss  more  than  compensated  by  a  favourable 
situation  for  agriculture,  and  the  transport  of  produce  to  New- 
Orleans,  Pittsburg,  and  indeed  to  the  entire  western  and  southern 
parts  of  the  United  States. 

Blackford,  Harmony,  Madison,  Lawrenceburg,  and  Brook- 
ville,  are  all  towns  of  this  state.  Being  of  recent  formation,  they 
are  mostly  small,  and  have  nothing  very  worthy  of  notice  to  distin- 
guish them  from  each  other. 

No  good  topographical  or  statistical  account  having  been  yet 
published  upon  this  state,  the  data  are  not  abundant  respecting 
its  towns  or  other  artificial  improvements. 

The  political  institutions  of  this  new  state  are  honourable  in  a 
high  degree  to  the  framers;  the  constitution  of  the  state  provides 
every  restraint  against  the  encroachments  of  power,  and  the 
licentiousness  of  freedom,  that  human  wisdom  can  perhaps  fore- 
see. Slavery  is  banished  from  the  state,  or  rather  it  never  was 
received  within  its  borders.  The  inhabitants  at  this  moment  enjoy 
all  that  liberty,  industry,  and  impartial  administration  of  justice 
can  bestow. 

Colleges  and  schools  can  scarce  be  considered  to  exist  as  public 
institutions;  private  schools  are  numerous,  and  increasing  with  the 
population. 

Productions — Staples. — Flour  may  be  considered  the  prin- 
cipal artificial  production  and  staple.  Much  of  the  land  is  weh1 
calculated  to  produce  wheat.  Mill  streams  abound.  Rye  is 
also  extensively  cultivated,  and  used  as  bread  grain,  to  feed  horses, 
and  to  supply  the  distillers.  Maize  is,  next  to  wheat,  the  most  val- 
uable crop  cultivated  in  Indiana.  The  fertile  alluvion  upon  the 
rivers  and  many  parts  of  the  prairies  are  admirably  adapted  to  the 
production  of  this  excellent  vegetable.  The  quantity  made  from 
an  acre  of  land  cannot  be  determined  with  any  precision;  but  the 
production  is  generally  abundant.  In  all  the  new  settlements  in 
the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  valley,  maize  is  the  crop  first  resorted  to 
for  providing  subsistence,  and  we  believe  it  to  be  the  only  grain 
that  in  many  places  would  have  rendered  settlement  possible. 
The  rapidity  of  its  growth  and  the  easy  application  of  its  farina  to 
use,  will  always  secure  to  maize  a  rank  amongst  the  most  precious 
vegetables  yet  cultivated  by  mankind. 

Oats,  barley,  and  buckwheat,  are  also  reared;  the  former  in 
great  abundance  as  food  for  horses.  Potatoes  (Irish  potatoes) 
are  cultivated  in  plenty,  as  is  a  great  variety  of  pulse.  Pumpions, 


196  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

squashes,  melons,  and  cucumbers  are  cultivated  and  may  be  pro- 
duced in  any  assignable  ^quantity. 

In  no  country  could  artificial  meadow  be  made  to  more  advan- 
tage. This  useful  part  of  agriculture  is  almost  always  neglected  in 
our  new  settlements,  and  only  becomes  an  object  of  attention 
when  the  natural  range  is  exhausted.  The  great  body  of  the 
emigrants  coming  from  places  where  artificial  meadows  are  in 
use,  their  immense  benefits  are  not  to  be  learned  by  all. 

For  domestic  consumption  and  exportation,  are  made  large 
quantities  of  beef,  pork,  butter,  lard,  bacon,  leather,  whiskey,  and 
peach  brandy.  With  but  little  exception,  Natchez  and  New 
Orleans  are  the  outlets  of  the  surplus  produce  of  Indiana.  A  few 
articles  are  occasionally  sent  to  Pittsburgh,  but  that  commerce, 
never  extensive,  is  on  the  decline.  The  attention  of  the  inhab- 
itants is  drawn  towards  the  natural  channel,  through  which  their 
wealth  must  circulate.  Sugar,  coffee,  wines,  and  foreign  ardent 
spirits,  are  brought  from  New  Orleans,  but  of  the  former  neces- 
sary, considerable  quantity  is  made  in  the  country  from  the  sap 
of  the  sugar  maple  tree. 

Dry  goods,  hardware,  ironmongery,  paper,  and  books,  are 
mostly  imported  by  the  route  of  Pittsburgh.  Some  of  all  those 
articles,  the  two  latter  perhaps  excepted,  are  also  imported  from 
New  Orleans.  Saddles,  bridles,  hats,  boots,  and  shoes,  are  manu- 
factured, in  great  part,  in  the  state.  This  indeed  is  a  trait  that 
marks  the  whole  western  states,  that  the  latter  indispensable  art- 
icles of  domestic  consumption  are  generally  to  be  found  at  every 
new  settlement,  for  prices  not  greatly  advanced  above  that  of  the 
same  objects  in  large  commercial  cities  on  the  Atlantic  coast. 

The  same  observations  may  be  made  respecting  cabinet,  and 
all  other  kinds  of  household  furniture.  Tables,  chairs,  and  bed- 
steads, are  made  in  all  the  large  towns  in  the  valleys  of  Ohio  and 
Mississippi,  with  all  the  requisite  qualities  of  elegance  and  strength. 

Except  in  Lexington,  Kentucky,  and  Pittsburg,  book  print- 
ing is  not  yet  done  to  any  considerable  extent  west  of  the  Ale- 
ghany.  In  these  two  latter  places  and  in  Cincinnati,  Nashville, 
and  some  other  places,  book  stores  have  been  established  to  con- 
siderable extent,  but  a  well  assorted  library  could  not  be  formed  in 
any,  or  perhaps  all  those  towns.  Professional  men,  and  indeed  all 
men  who  are  emigrating  to  the  west,  ought  to  carry  with  them  such 
books  as  they  may  need.  It  is  not  without  more  difficulty  than  is 
commonly  believed  to  exist,  that  a  good  selection  of  books  can  be 
made  even  in  New- York  or  Philadelphia,  much  less  in  towns  upon 
the  Ohio  or  Mississippi  waters. 


From  Geographical  sketches  on  the  western  country  designed 
for  Emigrants  and  settlers,  by  E.  Dana  [1819],  pp. 
48-49,  107-32. 

DANA,  EDMUND. 

Mr.  Dana  spent  six  years  among  the  native  Indians  living  in  the  region 
of  the  Great  Lakes.  His  knowledge  gained  there  won  for  him  considerable 
reputation  as  a  guide,  and  by  1816  he  had  been  employed  by  more  than 
thirteen  hundred  persons  to  select  for  them  tracts  of  land  on  which  they 
desired  to  make  permanent  settlements. 

The  knowledge  acquired  while  performing  this  work  and  his  personal 
observations  qualified  him  to  speak  with  some  authority  on  many  phases 
of  the  northwest  country.  His  sketches  were  published  in  1817. 

In  the  state  of  Indiana,  not  far  from  Big  Blue  river,  is  a  spa- 
cious cave,  more  than  two  miles  in  extent.  The  entrance  is  in  the 
side  of  an  elevated  hill. .  Large  quantities  of  Epsom  salt,  and  salt 
petre,  are  found  in  this  cave..  Here  numerous  calcareous  exuda- 
tions are  displayed  in  a  variety  of  shapes,  resembling  artificial 
carvings.  Bats  inhabiting  this  cave  are  numerous,  and  it  is  neces- 
sary for  an  adventurer  who  would  explore  it,  to  preserve  his  torch 
or  candle  from  extinguishment  by  those  creatures,  with  a  lantern. 
Within  the  tract  called  the  barrens,  expanding  in  divers  directions 
several  miles,  there  are  various  other  large  caves;  on  the  bot- 
toms of  some  of  which  flow  streams  of  water,  large  enough  to  drive 
mills. 

There  is  in  the  county  of  Orange,  in  this  state,  a  large  stream, 
called  Lost  river; — after  flowing  several  miles  on  the  surface,  the 
whole  current  suddenly  sinks  into  the  earth,  and  is  never  seen  or 
heard  of  more.  Near  a  creek  that  joins  the  Ohio  about  a  mile 
west  of  Xew-Albany,  is  a  spring,  so  strongly  impregnated  with 
sulphurated  hydrogen  gas,  as  to  produce  combustion,  by  placing 
a  torch  or  lighted  candle  a  little  above  the  water.  About  six  miles 
northwest  of  Corydon,  near  the  Big  Blue  river,  just  above  the 
base  of  an  elevated  hill,  bursts  from  amidst  the  rocks,  a  cold  spring, 
which  in  the  dryest  seasons  is  copious  enough  to  drive  two  pair  of 
stones  and  a  saw,  in  an  elegant  stone  mill,  built  just  by  its  mouth. 
There  are  many  other  springs  of  this  description,  cold  as  any  well 
water,  on  which  profitable  mills  are  built,  within  this  state.  . 

(197) 


198  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

INDIANA. 

INDIANA  was  admitted  into  the  federal  union,  as  a  state,  in  the 
year  1816.  It  is  bounded  by  the  state  of  Illinois  on  the  west,  by 
a  line  on  the  Wabash  from  its  mouth  to  40  miles  above  Vincennes, 
and  thence  on  a  meridian  line  so  far  north  as  to  include  the  south- 
ern extremity  of  lake  Michigan  10  miles  in  depth,  by  a  bound- 
ary line  on  the  north  drawn  due  east :  east  by  the  state  of  Ohio,  by 
a  meridian  line,  running  from  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Miami:  on  the 
south  by  the  Ohio  river.  Length  from  north  to  south,  284  miles; 
breadth  from  east  to  west  155;  contains  about  37,000  square  miles; 
lays  between  37°  45'  and  41°  52'  north  latitude,  and  7°  40'  and  10° 
west  longitude. 

Face  of  the  Country,  Soil,  &c. — There  are  in  Indiana  no  con- 
siderable heights  of  land,  that  (strictly  speaking)  can  properly  be 
denominated  mountains.  The  river  hills  from  100  to  200  feet 
high,  diverging  from  30  to  600  rods  from  the  Ohio,  according  to 
the  width  of  the  alluvial  margin,  commence  within  two  miles  east 
of  the  Great  Miami,  and  extend  in  the  direction  of  the  river  Ohio, 
within  about  twelve  miles  above  the  Falls,  where  they  gradually 
merge  in  a  valley,  which  extends  about  25  miles  below;  where  the 
same  range  of  hills  reappears,  and  extends  in  the  course  of  the 
river,  as  it  runs,  from  60  to  70  miles  below,  where  the  hills  dis- 
appear, and  a  region  sometimes  level,  and  sometimes  waving, 
commences,  which  is  expanded  southwestwardly  to  the  Wabash, 
and  northwestwardly  and  northeastwardly,  with  rare  exceptions, 
to  the  great  western  lakes. 

On  the  borders  of  most  of  the  streams  are  strips  of  rich  bottom, 
and  there  are  also  praira  lands,  from  one  to  five  miles  wide. 
Between  the  Wabash  and  lake  Michigan,  the  country  is  generally 
level,  abounding  alternately  with  prairas  and  woodland,  and 
occasionally  large  marshes,  and  several  small  lakes.  Some  of  the 
prairas  between  fort  Harrison  and  fort  Meigs,  are  covered  with 
red  top  and  fowl  meadow  grasses. 

Between  the  Ohio  and  White  river,  a  range  of  knobs  forms  the 
high  table  lands  that  divide  the  head  waters  of  some  of  the  trib- 
utaries to  the  Ohio  from  those  of  the  White  river,  commencing 
about  25  miles  north  from  the  Ohio,  and  20  miles  eastwardly  from 
Salem,  and  pursuing  a  course  southwestwardly,  reaches  that  river 
12  or  13  miles  below  the  Falls,  where  they  terminate.  Most  of  this 
region  is  thickly  covered  with  large  forest  trees. 

North  of  the  Wabash,  between  Tippecanoe  and  Ouitanon,  a 


EDMUND  DANA.  199 

French  settlement,  the  banks  of  the  streams  are  high,  abrupt  and 
broken,  and  the  lands,  except  the  prairas,  covered  with  timber. 
Between  the  Plein  and  the  Theakiki,  (which  are  the  head  branches 
of  the  Illinois)  the  country  is  flat  and  wet,  interspersed  with  prairas 
of  an  inferior  soil.  In  this  region,  the  swamps  seem  to  furnish  the 
head  streams  of  rivers,  and  the  lands  appear  to  be  too  low  and  wet 
for  cultivation. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  prairas,  the  river  and  the  upland;  the 
former  are  destitute  of  timber,  and  are  said  to  exhibit  vestiges  of 
former  cultivation;  the  latter  are  from  30  to  100  feet  more  ele- 
vated, and  are  more  numerous  and  extensive.  Some  of  them  are 
not  larger  than  a  common  field,  others  extending  farther  than  the 
eye  can  reach.  They  are  usually  interspersed  with  some  clumps  of 
trees,  and  bounded  by  heavy  timbered  forests.  In  spring  and  sum- 
mer, they  are  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  grass  and  fra- 
grant flowers,  from  five  to  eight  feet  high.  The  soil  of  these  plains 
is  often  as  deep  and  fertile  as  the  best  bottoms.  The  prairas  near 
the  Wabash  are  remarkably  rich,  and  almost  inexhaustible  by 
crops.  By  the  digging  of  wells,  the  vegetable  soil  has  been  found 
22  feet  deep,  bedded  on  white  sand;  their  common  depth  is  from 
two  to  five  feet. 

Among  the  lands  purchased  of  the  Indians  in  1818,  are  8,500,- 
000  acres  within  the  state  of  Indiana.  This  new  purchase  is 
bounded  on  the  south  by  a  line  drawn  18  miles  above  fort  Harrison, 
at  the  Wabash,  on  the  old  Indian  boundary — thence  along  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Wabash  to  the  forks  of  White  river,  and  from 
thence  to  fort  Wayne. 

The  acquisition  of  this  new  purchase,  which  is  now  surveying, 
and  will  soon  be  exposed  for  sale,  will  greatly  contribute  to  increase 
the  population  and  promote  the  prosperity  of  the  state  of  Indiana. 

The  quality  of  the  soil,  for  so  large  a  tract  in  a  body,  will  bear 
a  comparison  to  any,  perhaps,  within  the  United  States.  Indeed, 
it  has  been  esteemed,  by  intelligent  men,  who  have  often  traversed 
it,  in  all  directions,  in  point  of  rural  scenery,  a  copious  supply  of 
pure  water,  fertility  of  soil  and  security  to  health,  equal  to  any 
part  of  the  western  country.  The  greater  part  is  covered  with  a 
beautiful  growth  of  forest  trees,  not  unlike  those  common  to  bot- 
toms and  uplands  of  the  first  quality  in  the  state  of  Ohio;  except  on 
considerable  portions  of  fine  prairas,  which  in  the  centre  and  to  the 
northwest  in  various  places,  are  spread  out  extensively.  The  sur- 
face in  this  part  of  the  tract  is  delightfully  variegated  by  gentle 
undulations. 


200  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

At  the  northeast,  although  the  lands  will  make  valuable  planta- 
tions, the  surface  over  a  considerable  part,  approaches,  too  near, 
perhaps,  a  perfect  champaign  to  embrace  all  the  conveniences  of 
the  best  agricultural  situations.  The  soil  is,  however,  strong  and 
durable,  well  adpated  to  wheat  and  meadow  grasses.  The  pre- 
vailing growth  here  is  beech,  although  there  be  considerable  sugar 
maple  and  other  forest  trees  that  indicate  a  rich  soil.  The  infre- 
quency  of  running  streams,  and  the  level  surface  in  the  north- 
east, cause  a  scarcity  of  good  mill  seats. 

The  lands  bordering  on  the  waters  of  the  White  river  and  its 
tributary  streams  are  considered  among  those  of  the  best  quality, 
excepting  a  strip  of  about  30 'miles  by  15,  laying  near  the  west 
branch,  which  being  low,  marshy,  and  occasionally  overflowed,  is 
unfavorable  to  health.  Much  of  this  tract,  not  excepted,  is  de- 
lightfully situated,  and  the  surface  consisting  of  gentle  undula- 
tions, supplied  with  good  water,  and  variegated  with  numerous 
small ,  rich,  dry  prairas. 

An  extensive  tract,  bordering  on  the  waters  of  the  Tippacanoe 
and  the  two  Vermillion  and  Eel  rivers,  are  lands  of  superior  qual- 
ity, and  not  excelled  for  fertility  by  any  in  the  state.  The  north- 
ern position  of  these  lands,  will  afford  a  climate  favorable  to  the 
health  of  emigrants  not  habituated  to  southern  latitudes. 

The  productions  of  Indiana  in  corn,  wheat,  rye,  barley,  oats, 
beans,  peas,  Irish,  sweet  potatoes,  and  garden  vegetables  of  every 
description,  are  abundant.  In  some  parts  of  the  state,  where  the 
soil  consists  of  a  sandy  loam,  certain  species  of  the  wrine  grape, 
particularly  the  grape  of  Good  Hope,  and  cotton,  have  flourished. 
It  is  presumed  that  upland  rice  would  succeed  well  in  this  soil,  as  it 
has  been  known  to  flourish  within  the  state  of  Kentucky,  in  the 
same  latitude.  Farming  is  conducted  on  a  large  scale  in  the 
Wabash  country  for  several  miles  around  Vincennes  and  fort 
Harrison,  where  the  soil  is  exceedingly  productive.  Within  this 
region,  single  farmers  have  raised,  in  one  year,  from  4,000  to  10,000 
bushels  of  corn,  and  various  kinds  of  small  grain.  The  soil  in  these 
places  is  of  a  deep,  rich,  dark  gray,  sandy  loam,  which  is  ploughed 
easily,  and  resists  the  effects  of  drought  and  drenching  rains.  It 
has  proved  so  inexhaustible,  by  cropping  without  manure,  that  the 
same  corn  fields  have  been  planted  for  more  than  half  a  century  in 
constant  succession  without  a  perceivable  diminution  of  crops. 

The  population  of  Indiana  has,  perhaps,  experienced  a  more 
rapid  increase  than  any  state  in  the  union.  At  the  census  in  1810, 
it  contained  only  24,520  inhabitants,  exclusive  of  Indians. 


EDMUND  DANA.  201 

In  the  territorial  census  of  1815,  the  number  returned  to  Con- 
gress, as  a  prerequisite  to  the  formation  of  a  state,  was  67,784.  At 
this  period  August,  1819,  it  is  confidently  believed,  that  165,000 
would  not  be  an  exaggerated  estimate.  Since  the  census  of  1815, 
the  number  of  counties  have  more  than  doubled,  although  until 
the  late  purchase  in  1818,  nearly  two-thirds  of  the  extent  of  terri- 
tory was  in  the  possession  of  the  Indians. 

The  several  counties  to  which  the  number  of  inhabitants  is  not 
annexed,  have  been  formed  since  1815 — the  other  counties  show, 
in  the  second  column,  the  number  of  inhabitants  they  respec- 
tively contained,  at  that  time — the  third  column  presents  the 
names  of  the  towns  in  which  are  the  seats  of  justice  for  the  coun- 
ties to  which  they  are  annexed. 

Counties.  Population.  Chief  Towns. 

Clark 7,000 Charleston. 

Crawford Mount  Sterling. 

Dearborn 4,426 Lawrenceburgh. 

Davies Washington. 

Dubois 

Franklin 7,970 Brookville. 

Fayette Connersville. 

Floyd New- Albany. 

Gibson 5,330 Princeton. 

Harrison 6 , 769 Corydon. 

Jackson Brownstown. 

Jefferson 4 ,093 Madison. 

Jennings Vernon. 

Knox 6,800 Vincennes. 

Lawrence Palestine. 

Monroe 

Orange Paoli. 

Perry 3,000 Franklin. 

Posey 3,000 Harmony. 

Randolph 

Ripley Versailles. 

Spencer Rockport. 

Sullivan Merom. 

Switzerland 3,500 Vevay. 

Vandeburgh Evansville. 

Warwick 6 , 606 Boonsborough. 

Washington 3,000 Salem. 

Wayne 6,290 Centreville. 

Of  the  chief  towns  in  this  state,  the  progress  of  improvements 
and  population,  render  an  adequate  description  very  difficult. 
We  will,  however,  endeavour  to  give  such  sketches  as  will  present 


202  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

to  enquirers  a  tolerable  view  of  the  towns  most  considerable,  and 
of  the  country  surrounding  them. 

Salisbury,  formerly  the  county  seat  of  Wayne,  situated  on  a 
head  branch  of  Whitewater  river,  is  but  two  miles  eastwardly  of 
Centreville,  the  latter  place  consisting  of  a  few  cabbins  in  the 
woods,  where  the  courts  are  now  holden.  Concerning  the  seat  of 
justice  for  this  county,  a  great  interest  has  been  excited  among  the 
citizens;  and  on  application  to  the  legislature,  commissioners 
have  been  appointed  to  designate  the  spot  for  a  permanent  estab- 
lishment. Two  expensive  brick  court  houses,  have  already  been 
erected,  one  at  Salisbury,  and  the  other  at  Centreville,  not  more 
than  two  miles  apart.  The  land  surrounding  Salisbury  and  Cen- 
treville, and  indeed,  the  whole  county  of  Wayne,  is  one  of  the  most 
valuable  tracts  for  cultivation  in  the  state.  The  surface  in  some 
parts  is  too  flat  and  wet,  but  mostly  gently  waving,  the  soil  strong 
and  durable,  covered  with  stately  forest  trees,  finely  watered  by 
the  head  branches  of  the  Whitewater,  which  furnishes  divers  valu- 
able mill  seats.  Many  of  the  settlers  are  from  North  Carolina, 
whose  improvements  have  formed  large  and  valuable  plantations. 

Brookville,  the  county  seat  of  Franklin,  stands  upon  a  narrow 
elevated  plain,  in  the  forks  of  WThitewater.  A  considerable  part  of 
the  town,  however,  is  built  on  the  margin  of  the  East  Fork,  65 
or  70  feet  lower  than  the  upper  bottom.  The  situation  is  pleasant 
and  romantic,  exhibiting  the  variegated  prospect  of  the  meander- 
ings  of  the  streams,  and  of  hills  topped  with  forest  trees  on  either 
side,  cultivated  farms  and  water  mills.  This  town,  which  did  not 
contain  20  dwelling  houses  at  the  close  of  the  late  war,  now, 
(1819)  exceeds  the  number  of  one  hundred,  besides  several  stores, 
mechanic  shops,  &c.  Within  the  limits  of  the  town  are  two  grist 
and  two  saw  mills,  three  fulling  mills,  and  three  carding  machines. 
There  are  a  neat  brick  court  house,  a  jail,  and  a  market  house. 
Distance  from  Cincinnati,  north  west,  42  miles.  The  county  of 
Franklin  contains  excellent  bottom  lands  on  the  margin  of  the 
two  Whitewater  forks;  and  the  uplands  are  generally  covered  with 
a  good  soil,  and  well  timbered. 

Lawrenceburgh,  the  seat  of  justice  for  the  county  of  Dearborn, 
stands  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Ohio,  23  miles  from  Cincinnati,  and 
two  below  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami.  The  situation  of  this 
town  is  very  pleasant,  being  on  a  spacious  plain,  which  commands 
a  view  of  the  river,  surrounded  by  extensve  rich  bottom  lands. 
The  spot  occupied  by  the  town,  is  the  nearest  convenient  site  on 
the  Ohio  west  of  the  Miami.  But  it  is  subject  to  inundation  by 


EDMUND  DANA.  203 

extraordinary  freshets;  the  largest  of  which  has  covered  Main, 
the  highest  street,  four  feet  deep.  But  this  street  is  now  raised 
above  the  highest  freshets,  and  the  principal  buildings  are  ele- 
vated above  the  street.  On  an  average,  the  town  is  flooded  not 
more  than  once  in  three  or  four  years. — But  as  the  inhabitants  are 
familiar  with  the  occurrence,  they  are  prepared :  they  anchor  their 
fences  with  little  trouble,  so  as  to  secure  them  from  floating;  their 
upper  rooms  receive  the  contents  of  their  cellars,  their  cattle' 
and  hogs  are  driven  to  high  grounds;  thus  prepared  they  await  the 
overflowing  and  the  recession  of  the  waters,  as  unconcerned  as  did 
the  family  of  Noah  the  great  deluge.  The  highest  floods  rarely 
continue  more  than  eight  or  ten  days.  As  no  stagnant  pools 
remain,  the  flooding  of  the  town  is  followed  by  no  injury  to  health, 
and  by  much  less  inconvenience  to  the  inhabitants,  than  can  be 
imagined  by  strangers.  The  preceding  remarks  apply  only  to  Old 
Lawrenceburgh;  for  New-Lawrenceburgh,  so  called,  within  the 
limits  of  the  same  town,  about  100  rods  from  the  old  settlement,  is 
never  overflowed.  The  latter  is  a  handsome  site,  bounded  by 
Tanner's  creek  on  the  west,  which  joins  the  Ohio  a  mile  below,  and 
is  navigable  to  the  new  town. 

It  contains  a  number  of  large,  elegant  houses,  built  with  brick, 
a  large  grist  and  saw  mill,  driven  by  four  oxen,  on  an  inclined 
plane  wheel,  a  spacious  cotton  factory,  driven  by  the  same  power, 
besides  mechanic  shops  and  other  buildings,  all  erected  within  two 
years.  This  site,  by  itself,  which  is  to  be  connected  with  the  old 
town  by  a  high  street  above  the  flooding  waters,  is  spacious  enough 
for  a  pretty  large  town.  Lawrenceburgh,  from  its  first  settlement, 
till  within  two  or  three  of  the  last  years,  has  progressed  very  slowly. 
Nothing  could  have  so  long  retarded  the  prosperity  of  this  delight- 
ful situation,  which  nature  seemed  to  have  designed  for  a  centre 
of  much  business,  but  the  dreadful  apprehensions  which  emigrants 
entertain  of  the  evils  of  overflowing  waters.  It  is  the  nearest  point 
to  the  river  for  an  immense  tract  of  interior  good  land,  and  yet 
unsettled,  in  the  most  convenient  outlet  for  the  produce  of  the 
great  Whitewater  country,  and  is  the  natural  place  of  deposite  for 
staple  commodities  which  float  down  the  Big  Miami.  The  evils 
contemplated  from  occasional  overflowing,  the  old  settlers  have 
found  more  imaginary  than  real. 

There  is  no  place  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  perhaps,  where  bet- 
ter water  is  found  or  more  perfect  health  enjoyed  than  at  Law- 
renceburgh. Nor  is  there  any  town  in  the  state,  we  presume,  which 
has  flourished  more  within  two  or  three  of  the  last  years;  many 


204  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

neat  brick  houses  and  stores  have  lately  been  erected,  both  in  the 
old  and  new  town;  some  of  which  are  nearly  as  spacious  and  ele- 
gant as  any  in  the  western  country.  Merchants  and  mechanics 
of  various  descriptions  have  met  with  encouragement.  The  town 
has,  within  30  months,  doubled  its  population,  which,  at  this  time 
(August  1819)  may  be  estimated  at  about  700.  Beside  the  Big 
Miami  and  Whitewater,  seven  considerable  streams  traverse  the 
'  county  of  Dearborn,  all  emptying  into  the  Ohio,  within  the  county, 
which  borders  on  that  river  not  exceeding  17  miles.  The  most  of 
these  streams,  including  the  Ohio,  have  spacious  margins  of  bot- 
tom lands.  The  face  of  the  country  bordering  on  the  Ohio,  how- 
ever, for  some  miles  in  width,  has  spread  over  it  many  abrupt  hills, 
which  as  well  as  the  vallies,  are  covered  by  a  deep  rich  soil.  But 
as  we  recede  some  distance  back  from  the  creeks,  the  surface  be- 
comes sufficiently  level.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  county 
are  large  tracts,  of  which  the  prevailing  growth  is  oak  of  divers 
species.  These  lands,  though  the  appearance  be  rather  forbidding 
to  a  stranger,  prove  very  productive  in  wheat,  grass  and  most 
other  crops,  common  to  the  country. 

There  appears  a  considerable  propensity  in  the  people  of  Dear- 
born county  to  the  formation  of  towns,  there  being  12  or  13  already 
laid  off.  Our  limits  will  permit  us  to  notice  some  of  the  principal 
only. 

Harrison  is  a  pleasant  little  village  on  the  Whitewater,  about  14 
miles  northeast  [south-east]  of  Lawrenceburgh;  the  main  street 
being  the  boundary  line  between  the  states  Indiana  and  Ohio.  It 
would  seem  from  the  numerous  tumuli  and  places  of  ancient  sepul- 
ture, that  this  plain,  centuries  ago,  was  covered  by  the  habitations 
of  men. — The  town  which  contains  a  considerable  number  of  neat 
dwelling  houses,  is  surrounded  by  a  tract  of  excellent  land,  on 
which  are  many  handsome  plantations.  Hardensburgh,  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Great  Miami,  two  miles  from  its  mouth,  occupies 
a  handsome  site,  and  contains  about  50  houses,  seven  or  eight  of 
which  are  decent  brick  buildings. 

Aurora,  at  the  mouth  of  Hogan  creek,  on  the  west  bank  of  that 
stream,  four  miles  below  Lawrenceburgh,  and  nine  above  Rising 
Sun,  was  laid  off  by  20  proprietors  in  1818.  About  40  frames,  for 
dwelling  houses  and  stores,  were  erected  on  donation  lots,  before 
any  of  the  others  were  offered  for  sale.  This  town  has  a  fine  pros- 
pect of  the  meanderings  of  the  creek  and  the  river;  and  is  accom- 
modated with  as  good  a  harbor  for  boats,  as  any  place  between 
Pittsburgh  and  the  Mississippi;  a  strong  eddy  from  the  Ohio 


EDMUND  DANA.  205 

putting  into  the  creek,  which  exceeds  15  feet  in  depth  at  all  stages 
of  water. 

Rising  Sun,  13  miles  below  Lawrenceburgh,  forms  one  of  the 
most  delightful  situations  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio. 

It  is  surrounded  by  a  spacious  tract  of  rich  bottom,  and  occupies 
a  gentle,  gradual  descent,  that  commands  a  complete  prospect  of 
the  river;  between  which  and  the  front  row  of  houses,  is  a  broad 
street  more  than  150  rods  in  length.  This  town  contains  more  than 
100  houses,  and  affords  employment  for  several  traders,  taverns, 
and  a  number  of  industrious  mechanics. 

Wilmington,  a  small  village,  stands  on  a  high  hill,  about  equi- 
distant from  the  East  and  West  Forks  of  Hogan. 

Hanover  is  a  little  village  two  miles  above  the  mouth  of 
Laughry;  the  houses  are  mostly  cabbins. 

Hartford,  about  five  or  six  miles  from  the  Ohio,  is  a  flourish- 
ing village  on  Laughry  creek,  containing  50  or  60  houses. 

Vevay,  the  county  seat  of  Switzerland,  situated  eight  miles 
above  the  mouth  of  Kentucky  river,  on  the  Ohio,  45  below  Cin- 
cinnati, is  a  pleasant  flourishing  town,  containing  190  houses,  a 
decent  brick  court  house,  a  jail,  printing  office,  a  large  distillery, 
several  taverns  and  mechanic  shops.  A  branch  of  the  bank  of 
Indiana  is  established  here.  It  was  commenced  in  1814,  within 
the  tract  granted  by  the  United  States,  to  about  30  Swiss  families 
in  1804;  who  began  their  settlements,  near  the  place  where  the 
town  now  stands,  in  the  following  year.  This  land  was  obtained 
from  government  on  an  extended  credit,  for  the  purpose  of  encour- 
aging the  cultivation  of  the  grape  vine;  in  which  employment  the 
Swiss. have  been  more  successful,  it  is  presumed,  than  any  attempt 
on  a  large  scale,  within  the  United  States.  In  1815,  about  100 
hogsheads  of  wine  were  produced  from  all  the  vineyards;  some  of 
which  belonging  to  individuals,  have  singly  grown  grapes  latterly, 
sufficient  to  make  1,000  gallons  of  wine.  The  Madeira  and  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  have  flourished  better  than  any  other  species 
which  have  been  tried.  The  vines  of  each  grow  well,  but  the  Cape 
being  much  less  liable  to  be  injured  by  early  frost,  is  the  least  pre- 
carious and  the  most  productive.  This  wine  is  wholesome,  and 
not  unpalatable.  It  is  preserved  through  the  summer  months 
without  distilled  spirits,  and  grows  better  by  age. 

Madison,  on  the  second  bottom  of  the  bank  of  the  Ohio,  is 
the  county  seat  of  Jefferson.  This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
and  flourishing  towns  in  the  state;  was  commenced  18 Ll;  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1819,  contained  821  inhabitants,  123  dwelling  houses, 


206  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

besides  stores,  mechanic  shops,  &c.  Has  a  court  house  and  jail, 
and  a  banking  establishment.  This  town  derives  an  importance 
from  its  central  position,  by  standing  in  one  of  the  most  northerly 
bends  of  the  Ohio;  thereby  presenting  one  of  the  nearest  points  of 
Ohio  navigation  to  that  extensive  body  of  rich  land,  at  and  around 
the  Delaware  towns,  which  yet  remains  uncultivated.  The  town 
is,  except  on  the  river  board,  surrounded  by  rugged,  high  hills, 
which  offer  a  steep  and  laborious  ascent  for  a  loaded  team. 

New-Lexington,  16  miles  west  of  Madison,  contains  about  50 
houses,  and  is  in  the  vicinity  of  an  extensive  tract  of  good  land. 

New-London,  10  miles  below  Madison,  on  the  Ohio,  is  formed 
by  nature  for  one  of  the  most  pleasant  situations  on  that  river; 
presenting  a  gradual  and  gentle  descent  for  150  rods  back  from 
the  river,  the  position  of  the  ground  affording  a  most  excellent 
route  for  a  good  road  to  the  back  country,  and  exhibiting  from  a 
distance,  a  charming  view  of  the  broad  expanse  of  the  Ohio. 

Charlestown,  the  county  seat  of  Clark,  is  situated  two  miles 
from  the  Ohio,  29  miles  south  of  west  from  Madison,  and  14 
miles  above  the  Falls.  It  is  one  of  the  most  flourishing  and  neatly 
built  towns  in  the  state;  contains  about  160  houses,  chiefly  of 
brick,  a  handsome  court  house,  and  is  inhabited  by  an  industrious 
class  of  citizens.  There  are  numerous  plantations  around  this 
town,  consisting  of  good  land,  and  better  cultivated,  perhaps, 
than  any  in  the  state.  This  tract  is  within  the  grant  made  by 
the  state  of  Virginia,  to  the  brave  soldiers,  who,  under  the  cele- 
brated general  Clark,  in  the  revolutionary  war,  by  conquering  the 
British  troops  and  their  savage  allies,  subjected  the  western 
country  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States.  A  large  portion 
of  the  Grant,  so  called,  containing  many  thousand  acres,  is 
covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  beech  timber,  considerably  inter- 
mixed with  sugar  maple,  and  divers  other  species  of  trees. — The 
soil  is  very  productive  in  fruit  trees,  wheat,  and  English  grasses. 

Jeffersonville  stands  just  above  the  Falls,  on  the  west  bank  of 
the  Ohio.  The  noise,  and  the  sight  of  the  waters  tumbling  over  the 
precipices  below,  together  with  a  view  of  the  town  of  Louisville, 
on  the  opposite  shore,  present  a  scenery  at  once  variegated,  roman- 
tic, picturesque  and  grand.  The  town  is  built  on  the  second  bot- 
tom, above  the  highest  floods,  affording  a  complete  view  of  the 
river.  The  non-residence  of  the  proprietors  (of  whom  many  are 
minors)  of  town  lots  and  of  the  adjacent  country,  has  hitherto 
much  checked  the  prosperity  of  this  delightful  spot.  Of  the  build- 
ings, which  are  not  very  numerous,  some  are  designed  and  executed 


EDMUND  DANA.  207 

in  a  neat  and  elegant  style,  particularly  the  mansion  which  was  the 
resience  of  the  late  Gov.  Posey.  A  land  office,  a  post  office  and  a 
printing  office  are  established  in  this  town. 

A  canal  is  projected,  to  commence  a  few  rods  east  of  Jefferson- 
ville, at  the  mouth  of  a  ravine,  thence  through  the  back  lots  of  the 
town,  terminating  at  an  eddy,  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids,  by  the 
town  of  Clarksville.  To  effect  this  purpose,  the  legislature  of 
Indiana,  in  January  1818,  incorporated  the  Jeffersonville  Ohio 
Canal  Company,  with  a  capital  of  $1,000,000;  and  granted  them 
permission  to  raise  $100,000  by  lottery.  In  May,  1819,  a  survey 
and  location  having  been  previously  made,  the  excavation  was 
commenced,  and  continues  to  be  prosecuted  with  spirit,  and  the 
fairest  prospects  of  success.  The  extent  of  this  canal  will  be  2% 
miles;  the  average  depth  45  feet;  width  at  top  100,  and  at  bottom 
50  feet.  Except  one-fourth  of  a  mile  at  the  upper  end,  there  is  a 
bed  of  rock  to  be  cut  through,  10  or  12  feet  deep.  The  charter, 
which  expires  in  1899,  requires  that  the  canal  should  be  completed 
before  the  end  of  the  year  1824.  The  perpendicular  height  in  the 
whole  extent  of  the  falls  being  about  23  feet,  the  canal  is  expected 
to  furnish  excellent  mill  seats,  and  a  water  power  sufficient  to 
drive  machinery  for  very  extensive  manufacturing  establishments. 

In  navigating  the  Ohio,  the  saving  of  time,  expence,  and  waste 
of  property,  by  means  of  a  canal,  to  a  great  extent  above  the  falls, 
is  incalculable.  It  has  been  estimated,  that  Cincinnati  alone,  for 
several  years  past,  has  paid  an  extraordinary  expence  for  trans- 
porting goods  around  the  falls,  exceeding  $50,000.  The  several 
states  bordering  on  the  river  above,  are  each  interested  in  the  suc- 
cess of  this  great  undertaking,  and  it  is  presumed  they  will  liberally 
contribute  their  aid  to  perfect  it.  The  territory  and  population 
to  be  benefitted  by  this  work,  is  so  extensive,  strong  hopes  have 
been  entertained  that  some  adequate  provision  will  be  made  by  the 
general  government.  Capital  cannot,  perhaps,  at  the  present  day, 
be  vested  in  any  public  funds  that  will  yield  a  more  produc- 
tive regular  income,  than  in  this  establishment. 

New- Albany,  the  seat  of  justice  for  Floyd  county,  is  4V£  miles 
below  Jeffersonville,  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio,  on  an  extensive 
plain  of  rich  bottom  lands.  From  the  first  settlement  of  this  town, 
its  progress  was  rather  slow,  until  within  two  or  three  of  the  last 
years;  since  which  period  it  has  flourished  greatly.  The  front 
street  is  more  than  three  quarters  of  a  mile  in  length;  the  num- 
ber of  houses,  of  which  several  are  spacious  and  elegant,  are  sup- 
posed to  exceed  150;  a  steam  grist  and  saw  mill,  each  of  which  per- 


208  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

form  extensive  business,  are  a  great  advantage  to  the  town  and 
surrounding  country.  A  spirit  of  enterprise  and  industry  seems 
generally  to  animate  the  inhabitants,  and  to  exhibit  the  appear- 
ance of  a  brisk,  business-doing  place.  Floyd  was  erected  into  a 
county  in  the  winter  of  1818,  out  of  the  counties  of  Clark  and 
Harrison. 

Cory  don,  the  seat  of  justice  for  the  county  of  Harrison,  is  also 
the  present  capital  of  the  state,  the  constitution  having  appointed 
it  the  seat  of  legislation  until  1825.  Distant  from  New  Albany, 
northwest,  21  miles;  from  the  nearest  point  of  the  Ohio,  about  13— 
lays  between  the  forks  of  Indian  creek,  at  their  junction — is  sur- 
rounded by  elevated  ground,  of  gentle  ascent — contains  8  or  10 
neat  buildings,  beside  many  others  which  are  ordinary;  a  spacious 
court  house  of  stone,  which  is  occupied  by  the  legislature  during 
their  session.  The  supreme  court  is  holden  at  this  place,  exclu- 
sively. 

A  few  miles  from  the  town,  north,  northeast  and  northwest,  an 
extensive  tract  of  land,  called  the  barrens,  commences,  and  spreads 
out  in  divers  directions,  in  some  points  several  miles — the  sur- 
face commonly  undulating — occasionally  are  deep  sink  holes, 
resembling  half-filled  wells — the  growth  is  scattering,  small  oak 
shrubs,  with  here  and  there  small  clumps  of  oak  trees,  of  a  moder- 
ate size;  a  coarse,  short,  wild  grass,  grateful  to  cattle  and  sheep, 
overspreads  the  ground;  the  soil  in  some  parts  thin  and  sterile,  but 
generally  productive  of  good  crops  of  corn,  small  grain,  clover  and 
timothy.  The  region  of  these  barrens  is  remarkable  for  caverns, 
some  of  which  are  spacious,  from  five  to  fifty  feet  in  height  from 
the  flooring;  the  bottom,  roof  and  walls  of  flat  limestone — the  lat- 
ter often  as  perpendicular  as  the  walls  of  a  room.  It  is  not  uncom- 
mon to  find  streams  large  enough  to  drive  a  mill  briskly,  pouring 
their  waters  over  the  bottoms  of  these  caves.  Small  oaks,  of  a 
tolerable  height,  as  thinly  scattered  as  the  apple  trees  in  an  orchard, 
usually  commence  at  the  termination  of  the  barrens,  and  extend 
for  a  good  distance,  sometimes  for  the  space  of  two  or  three  miles. 
This  description,  it  is  conceived,  will  apply  to  most  of  the  barrens 
in  the  state. 

After  the  constitutional  term  expires,  the  seat  of  government 
will  be  removed  from  Corydon  into  the  interior,  probably  on  or 
near  the  West  Fork  of  Whiteriver,  within  the  late  purchase — Con- 
gress having  granted  to  the  state  four  square  miles,  for  a  perman- 
ent seat  of  legislation,  to  be  selected  by  the  state  from  the  public 
lands.  Fixing  the  temporary  seat  of  government  at  Corydon  has 


EDMUND  DANA.  209 

not  so  much  contributed  to  the  prosperity  of  the  town  as  was 
expected.  Being  without  any  water  communication  with  the 
Ohio,  one  and  the  nearest  of  the  great  high  ways  of  the  west,  Cory- 
don  is  unfortunately  located  within  that  grade  of  distance  from 
navigable  water — where  towns  have  never  been  known  to  nourish 
in  this  country — not  so  near  as  to  enjoy  the  advantage  of  a  river 
market,  and  not  distant  enough  to  obtain  the  country  custom. 
The  natural  situation  of  the  place,  however,  presents  a  scenery  that 
attracts  the  attention  of  a  stranger — a  level  bottom,  encompassed 
by  two  fine  never  failing  streams  of  water,  and  surrounded  by  high 
grounds,  gradually  rising  like  an  amphitheatre. 

Salem,  the  capital  of  Washington  county,  a  new  but  flourish- 
ing town,  34  miles  north  of  Corydon,  and  25  north  west  of  Jeffer- 
sonville,  stands  on  a  small  branch  of  Blue  river,  and  contains  a 
decent  court  house,  of  brick,  80  or  90  houses,  some  of  which  are 
neat  buildings.  Around  this  town  is  an  extensive  tract  of  land, 
of  a  superior  quality,  covered  with  a  thick  growth  of  stately  forest 
trees. 

Brownstown,  the  seat  of  justice  for  the  county  of  Jackson,  25 
miles  north  of  Salem,  is  situated  near  the  eastern  branch  of  White- 
river,  on  the  eastern  side,  a  short  distance  from  the  boundary  line 
of  the  late  purchase.  The  soil  around  Brownstown  consists  of  a 
gray  sandy  loam;  it  is  very  friable,  and  not  liable  to  bake  and 
harden  by  the  heat  of  the  sun.  This  spot  appears  to  be  without 
the  limits  of  the  calcareous  region — on  a  strip  of  land  from  two  to 
five  miles  in  width,  and  from  eight  to  fifteen  in  length,  scarcely 
any  limestone  are  to  be  found.  Within  a  mile  of  the  town  are 
large  quantities  of  iron  ore,  the  best  which  has  been  discovered  in 
the  state.  This  town  was  laid  off  in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  only 
three  or  four  years  ago,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  houses  are 
cabbins. 

Paoli,  the  county  seat  of  Orange,  is  about  70  miles  eastwardly 
of  Vincennes,  and  40  northwest  of  Jeffersonville,  near  the  centre 
of  a  large  tract  of  valuable  lands.  The  place  where  the  town 
stands,  but  three  or  four  years  ago,  was  covered  with  large  forest 
trees. 

Fredonia,  a  post  town  in  the  county  of  Crawford,  42  miles 
below  the  Falls,  is  situated  in  the  great  Horse-shoe  bend,  on  an 
elevated  plain,  commanding  an  extensive  and  romantic  prospect 
of  the  Ohio.  A  convenient  passage  way  is  opened  by  nature, 
through  the  rocks,  to  the  river;  which  is  here  very  bold  on  the 
western  shore,  forming  a  fine  eddy.  Between  the  town  and  the 

T — 14 


210  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

river  are  a  series  of  horizontal  benches,  terminating  next  the  town 
in  solid,  perpendicular  rock,  where  vines  and  fruit  trees  might  be 
cultivated.  There  is  a  spring  of  good  water  near  the  centre  of 
the  town.  In  the  ledges  near  the  town,  are  abundance  of  good 
free  stone.  The  town  occupies  as  healthy  a  situation  as  any  spot 
on  the  Ohio,  and  is  so  situated,  in  a  great  bend  of  the  river,  which 
projects  so  far  to  the  north,  at  this  place,  as  to  cause  it  to  be  the 
nearest  convenient  accessible  point  of  navigable  waters  for  a  great 
extent  of  country  round.  Its  position,  and  the  face  of  the  country 
on  each  side  of  the  river,  for  many  miles,  is  favorable  for  much 
travel  across  from  Kentucky  and  the  southern  states  into  the  inter- 
ior of  Indiana.  The  town  laying  about  the  centre  of  Indiana,  on 
the  river,  is  supposed  to  be  as  near  a  point  as  any  on  the  Ohio,  to 
the  spot  which  may  be  located  for  the  permanent  seat  of  govern- 
ment. It  is  believed  that  for  50  or  60  miles,  no  other  spot  on  the 
river  unites  so  many  natural  conveniences  for  a  town.  The  set- 
tlement here  was  not  commenced  until  the  fall  of  1818. 

Levenworthville,  about  a  mile  below  Blue  river,  is  a  new  town  in 

Crawford  county,  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio,  containing  a  few  houses. 

Mount   Sterling,    the    county   seat   for   Crawford,    is   located 

in  the  woods,  and  contains  a  few  cabbins;  it  is  about  eight  miles 

northwest  of  Fredonia. 

Washington,  the  seat  of  justice  of  Davies  county,  is  situated  20 
miles  east  of  Vincennes,  4  miles  from  the  north  and  16  from  the 
south  fork  of  Whiteriver,  in  the  centre  of  a  large  body  of  excellent 
land,  lying  within  the  forks  of  the  river;  its  being  thus  intersected 
by  those  navigable  streams,  affords  peculiar  facilities  for  exporting 
the  produce  of  the  country,  which  is  well  supplied  with  many  small 
streams  of  good  water,  and  interspersed  with  several  rich  prairas. 
Merom  stands  on  a  high  bank  of  the  Wabash,  called  the 
Bluffs,  opposite  Le  Motte  praira,  in  Illinois.  The  natural  situa- 
tion is  very  pleasant,  near  large  bodies  of  stone  coal.  It  is  the  seat 
of  justice  for  Sullivan  county,  which  consists  of  a  beautiful,  fertile, 
well  watered  tract  of  country,  through  which  flows  for  a  consid- 
erable extent,  the  waters  of  the  Wabash.  Here  are  spacious 
prairas  of  the  first  quality,  and  a  number  of  very  large,  productive 
plantations.  Among  the  prairas  are  included  the  Honey  creek, 
Fort  Harrison  and  Praira  creek  prairas,  all  which  present  a  most 
delightful  scenery;  the  surface  admitting  of  excellent  roads,  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year,  and  the  soil  equal  to  any  portion  of  the  west- 
ern country.  These  natural  advantages  have  speedily  produced  an 


EDMUND  DANA.  211 

influx  of  population,  and  a  degree  of  improvement,  which  has  been 
rarely  equalled  in  the  west. 

Terre  Haute,  within  the  same  county,  about  two  miles  below 
fort  Harrison,  is  delightfully  situated  on  a  high  bank  of  the 
Wabash,  with  a  gradual  descent  to  the  river,  along  which  extends  a 
skirt  of  woodland  near  a  mile  in  width.  It  was  laid  out  in  1816, 
and  is  rapidly  increasing  its  population  and  extending  its  improve- 
ments. 

Shakertown,  settled  by  that  industrious  class  of  people  called 
Shakers,  lays  at  the  lower  end  of  the  county,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Busseron,  15  miles  above  Vincennes. 

Vincennes,  the  earliest  settlement  between  Kaskaskia  and 
Pittsburgh,  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Wabash, 
being  the  seat  of  justice  for  the  county  of  Knox,  and  formerly  the 
seat  of  legislation  for  the  territory  of  Indiana.  It  was  settled  by 
French  emigrants  in  1735,  who  in  the  remote  recesses  of  a  wilder- 
ness, isolated  from  the  civilized  world,  formerly  approximated 
in  manner  and  appearance  to  the  savage  tribes  around  them, 
having  scarcely  any  intercourse  with  other  people — they  have, 
however,  since  their  acquaintance  with  the  Americans,  much 
improved  their  condition,  and  among  them  may  now*  be  found 
intelligent  men,  who  have  resumed  much  of  that  urbanity  of  man- 
ners peculiar  to  Frenchmen. 

Vincennes,  by  the  serpentine  course  of  the  Wabash,  is  distant 
from  the  mouth  of  that  river  152  miles;  while  from  Evansville, 
the  nearest  point  of  the  Ohio,  it  is  but  54.  It  is  the  most  populous 
town  in  the  state — and  although  long  stationary,  from  causes  not 
within  its  control,  it  is  now,  under  the  fostering  care  of  a  free  gov- 
ernment, by  the  accession  of  a  class  of  intelligent  and  enterprising 
inhabitants,  developing  its  natural  resources,  by  a  rapid  increase 
of  population,  and  an  extension  of  various  important  branches  of 
business.  Wm.  Fellows  &  Co.  have  built  a  large  steam  grist  and 
saw  mill,  and  are  erecting  the  present  year  (1819)  twelve  spacious 
brick  buildings.  The  town  contains  about  300  dwelling  houses,  a 
court  house  of  brick,  a  jail,  a  spacious  neat  brick  seminary,  two 
places  for  public  worship,  one  Presbyterian  and  one  Roman  Cath- 
olic, a  public  land  office,  a  post  office,  a  bank,  and  two  printing 
offices. 

Princeton,  the  seat  of  justice  for  the  county  of  Gibson,  35  miles 
southerly  from  Vincennes,  is  a  flourishing  little  town,  very  recently 
commenced.  About  one  half  of  this  county  consists  of  a  soil 


212  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

remarkably  good;  the  residue  is  second  rate.  It  is  watered  by  the 
Wabash  and  White  rivers,  and  some  of  their  tributary  streams. 

Rockport,  so  named  from  its  being  situated  upon  a  rock,  which 
presents  a  high  bold  front  on  the  Ohio,  commands  a  romantic 
prospect  of  the  river.  This  town,  which  is  but  just  commenced,  is 
the  seat  of  justice  for  Spencer,  one  of  the  best  counties  in  the 
state. 

Evansville,  stands  on  a  bend  in  the  Ohio,  at  the  mouth  of  Big 
Pigeon  creek,  54  miles  south  of  Vincennes,  and  45  miles  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Wabash.  It  is  the  seat  of  justice  for  Vandeburgh 
county.  This  town  is  in  the  vicinity  of  a  large  tract  of  excellent 
land,  and  acquires  an  importance  from  being  the  nearest  and  most 
convenient  landing  for  emigrants  bound  up  the  Wabash.  This  is 
considered  among  the  best  natural  situations  for  mercantile  busi- 
ness in  the  state. 

Harmony,  54  miles  below  Vincennes,  and  106  by  water  above 
the  mouth  of  the  Wabash,  stands  on  the  bank  of  that  river,  and  is 
the  capital  of  Posey,  the  southwestern  county  of  the  state. 
It  was  settled  in  1814,  by  a  religious  sect  of  Germans,  denominated 
Harmonists,  now  consisting  of  nearly  800  inhabitants.  They  were 
first  established  about  20  miles  from  Pittsburgh,  whence  they 
removed  to  this  place,  where  they  possess  several  thousand  acres 
of  good  land,  in  a  body;  which  is  held  in  the  name  of  Geo.  Rapp, 
their  head  man  and  religious  teacher,  as  he  alleges,  for  the  com- 
mon use  of  the  whole.  These  people  are  remarkable  for  the  observ- 
ance of  the  rules  prescribed  by  their  leader,  whom  they  call  father, 
and  in  whose  name  all  purchases  and  sales  are  made;  they  are 
remarkable  for  their  regularity,  industry  and  skill  in  the  mechanic 
arts — are  cultivators  of  the  grape  vin«,  and  manufacture  several 
kinds  of  excellent  cloths. 

Rivers  and  principal  streams. — The  Great  Miami,  Ohio  and 
Wabash  rivers,  which  constitute  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
boundary  lines  of  Indiana,  are  to  be  found  described  in  our  pre- 
liminary remarks.  The  meanderings  of  the  Ohio  in  passing  the 
width  of  the  state  (in  a  right  line  but  155  miles)  are  reckoned  472 
miles  in  extent. 

Whitewater,  flowing  with  a  rapid  current  of  pure  water,  gen- 
erally over  a  sandy,  pebbly  bottom,  draws  its  fountain  from  two 
chief  branches;  the  east  heading  near  Ohio  western  boundary,  in 
that  state,  a  few  miles  west  of  Greenville;  the  west  takes  its 
origin  in  the  flat  lands,  30  miles  west  of  Brookville,  just  below 
which  town  the  two  branches  form  a  junction,  and  after  running 


EDMUND  DANA.  213 

about  fifty  miles  in  a  southerly  direction,  empty  into  the  Great 
Miami  4^2  miles  in  a  right  line  from  its  confluence  with  the  Ohio. 

Next  below,  on  the  Ohio,  in  course  as  named,  are  Tanner's, 
Wilson's,  Hogan's  (the  two  main  branches  of  which  unite  within 
one  hundred  rods  from  the  mouth,)  Laughry's,  Arnold's  and 
Grant's  creeks,  all  within  the  county  of  Dearborn.  Indian 
creek,  the  southern  boundary  of  the  Swiss  settlement,  is  seven  miles 
above  the  mouth  of  Kentucky  river.  Silver  creek  joins  the  Ohio 
a  short  distance  below  the  Falls.  Wyandot  is  equidistant  from 
the  Falls  and  Blue  river. 

The  Big  Blue  river,  after  meandering  50  miles  southwest, 
bends  to  the  east  of  south,  and  empties  into  the  Ohio,  32  miles 
below  the  mouth  of  Salt  river. 

Little  Blue  river  finds  its  source  in  the  hills  which  skirt  the 
Ohio,  and  forming  several  cascades,  the  declivities  of  which 
furnish  convenient  mill  seats,  meets  the  Ohio  about  12  miles  below 
the  mouth  of  Big  Blue  river.  Ten  miles  below  the  former  is  Sink- 
ing creek. 

Anderson's  river,  60  miles  further  down,  is  the  largest  stream 
between  Blue  river  and  the  Wabash.  Piqua  and  Beaver  creeks 
join  the  Ohio  below.  Many  fine  streams  of  water,  affording  con- 
venient mill  seats,  intersect  the  country  between  White  river  and 
the  Ohio. 

The  main  branch  of  the  Wabash  heads  two  miles  east  of  fort 
St.  Mary's,  in  Dark  county,  Ohio.  Of  the  three  other  branches, 
the  one  called  Little  river  heads  seven  miles  south  of  fort  Wrayne, 
and  enters  the  Wahash  80  miles  below  St.  Mary's  portage.  The 
east  is  the  Massissiniway,  heading  equidistant  from  forts  Green- 
ville and  Recovery,  and  reaches  the  Wabash  5  miles  below 
the  mouth  of  Little  river.  The  third  is  Eel  river,  issuing  from 
several  lakes  and  ponds  18  miles  west  of  Fort  WTayne,  and  joins  the 
Wabash  eight  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Massisinavvay. 

The  whole  range  of  country  traversed  by  the  water  of  the 
Wabash,  is  remarkable  for  its  destitution  of  hills,  and  promin- 
ences. 

Petoka,  a  small  river,  running  a  west  course,  about  75  miles 
through  rich  bottom,  falls  into  the  Wabash  four  miles  below  White 
river. 

White  River  meanders  nearly  across  the  state  southwestwardly, 
supplying  with  water  and  fertilizing  a  large  body  of  good  land, 
and  joins  the  Wabash  16  miles  below  Vincennes;  35  miles  above  the 


214  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

mouth  the  two  principal  branches  unite,  called  North  or  Drift- 
wood-Fork, and  the  South  or  Muddy- Fork. 

Deche  River  comes  into  the  Wabash  about  half  way  between 
Vincennes  and  the  mouth  of  White  river,  flowing  from  the  north 
east;  it  is  a  rapid,  short  stream. 

Little  River,  in  a  serpentine  course  from  the  northeast  over 
wide  spread  bottoms,  flows  into  the  Wabash,  a  short  distance 
above  Vincennes.  Between  this  and  the  Deche,  a  rich  bottom 
expands  to  a  great  extent. 

St.  Marie  flows  from  the  north  east  60  miles,  joining  theWabash 
18  miles  above  Vincennes. 

Rocky  River,  60  miles  above  St.  Marie,  interweaving  its 
branches  with  those  of  the  main  fork  of  White  river,  directs  its 
course  to  the  Wabash — is  100  yards  wide  at  its  mouth,  and 
branches  into  several  forks. 

The  Pomme  meets  the  Wabash  about  100  miles  above  the  Rocky 
river — rises  near  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  state,  not  much 
north  of  the  sources  of  Whitewater.  Besides  the  above  rivers,  are 
a  number  of  small  streams,  that  water  the  country  on  the  south- 
east branch  of  the  Wabash.  The  other  side,  however,  is  more 
abundant  in  large  water  courses. 

On  the  northwest  side,  10  miles  below  the  Pomme,  is  Richards 
creek;  10  miles  still  below  is  Rock  river  with  high  banks,  flowing 
through  a  country  rather  broken. 

Tippacanoe,  comes  in  8  miles  below  Rock  river,  on  which  was 
fought  the  bloody  battle  of  November,  1811,  with  the  savages. 
Near  the  confluence  of  this  river  with  the  Wabash,  on  both 
streams,  are  several  Indian  villages,  with  extensive  cultivated 
fields. 

Above  the  Tippacanoe  are  Pine  and  Redwood  creeks;  Rejoic- 
ing or  Vermillion,  Jaune,  Little  Vermillion,  Erabliere,  Duchet's, 
and  Breuette  rivers;  at  an  interval  of  from  eight  to  fifteen  miles  of 
each  other;  all  flowing  from  the  west  or  north  west,  mostly  small, 
and  heading  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  The  rivers  of  Chanin,  Big 
and  Little  Kemomic,  which  flow  to  lake  Michigan;  the  Theakiki, 
Kickapoo,  and  a  part  of  the  chief  branches  of  Illinois  river,  all 
meander  through  the  north  western  part  of  the  state;  and  all, 
except  the  last,  entirely  within  its  boundaries:  the  three  first  run- 
ning from  south  to  north;  the  latter,  south  and  southwest.  The 
Vermillion  of  Illinois  rises  in  Indiana,  near  the  sources  of  Tippa- 
canoe. There  are  many  smaller  streams  not  enumerated.  The 
borders  of  the  Michigan  lake,  within  the  state,  are  well  watered 


EDMUND  DANA.  215 

by  the  numerous  forks  of  Black  river  and  St.  Joseph's,  of  lake 
Michigan;  the  latter  heading  near,  and  interlocking  with  the 
branches  of  Eel  river,  and  pursuing  a  winding  course  70  miles 
through  the  northern  part  of  Indiana. 

The  northern  half  of  the  state  is  interspersed  with  a  great 
number  of  lakes— 38  of  which,  from  two  to  ten  miles  in  length, 
have  been  delineated  on  maps.  The  actual  number  is  supposed  to 
exceed  100.  Some  have  two  distinct  out-lets;  one  running  into  the 
northern  lakes,  the  other  into  the  Mississippi.  The  greatest  num- 
ber of  these  lakes  are  between  the  head  waters  of  the  two  St. 
Joseph's,  Black,  Raisin,  Tippacanoe  and  Eel  rivers. 


From  A  statistical,  political  and  historical  account  of  North 
America,  by  D.  B.  Warden  [1819],  Vol.  II.,  pp. 
281-312. 

WARDEN,[DAVID^BAILLIE. 

David  B.  Warden,  a  French-Irish  author,  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1778. 
When  twenty  years  of  age,  he  came  to  America  and  soon  gained  recognition 
as  a  brilliant  writer  and  antiquarian.  In  1805  he  was  appointed  Secretary 
to  the  United  States  Legation  in  Paris,  and  a  few  years  later  was  appointed 
Consul.  On  two  or  three  occasions  he  had  some  difficulty  with  the  home 
government,  and  in  1814  was  suspended  from  the  consular  service.  He  how- 
ever, continued  to  reside  in  Paris,  and  turned  his  attention  entirely  to  writing. 
Being  an  ardent  antiquarian  he  undertook  a  survey  of  the  United  States. 
And  his  Statistical,  Political  and  Historical  Accounts  of  our  country, 
published  in  1819,  affords  one  of  the  best  available  source  books  on  the 
physical  conditions  of  the  United  States. 

INDIANA. 

SITUATION  AND  BOUNDARIES. — The  state  of  Indiana  is  situated 
between  37°  50'  and  42°  10'  of  north  latitude,  and  between  7° 
40'  and  10°  45'  west  longitude  from  Washington.  It  is  bounded  on 
the  south  by  the  river  Ohio;  north  by  the  parallel  of  42°  10', 
which  passes  through  Lake  Michigan,  ten  miles  beyond  its  south- 
ern extremity;  east  by  the  state  of  Ohio;  and  west  by  the  Illinois 
territory,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  the  Wabash  river  from  its 
mouth  to  Vincennes,  and  from  Vincennes  northward  by  a  meridian 
line.  Its  form  is  pretty  nearly  a  parallelogram;  its  length  from 
north  to  south  being  about  284  miles,  and  its  mean  breadth  about 
155.  Area,  39,000  square  miles,  or  24,960,000  acres, 
pf  Aspect  of  the  Country,  and  Nature  of  the  Soil.- — The  surface, 
from  the  falls  of  the  Ohio  to  the  Wabash,  is  broken  and  uneven, 
being  traversed  by  a  range  of  hills  called  the  "Knobs,"  which  rise 
to  the  height  of  400  or  500  feet  above  their  base.  From  this  range 
is  a  level  surface,  called  the  "Flat  Woods"  seventy  miles  in 
breadth,  extending  to  the  Ouitanon  country.  Along  all  the  prin- 
cipal streams,  except  the  Ohio,  there  is  a  tract  of  rich  alluvial  soil, 
without  timber,  which  terminates  in  meadow  lands,  rising  from 
thirty  to  a  hundred  feet  above  the  former,  adorned  with  copses  of 
beautiful  shrubs,  and  bounded  by  lofty  forests.  In  the  summer 
season  these  meadows  are  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of 
herbage,  from  six  to  eight  feet  high.  The  common  depth  of  the 

(216) 


DAVID  BAILLIE   WARDEN.  217 

soil  is  from  two  to  three  feet;  but  along  the  Wabash,  in  forming 
wells,  it  was  found  to  be  twenty-two  feet,  and  underneath  a 
stratum  of  fine  white  sand  was  discovered.  The  lands  on  White 
river  are  hilly,  broken,  and  in  some  parts  stony;  but  exceedingly 
well  watered.  From  the  mouth  of  Big  Miami  to  Blue  river,  a 
range  of  hills,  intersected  by  streams,  runs  near  to  and  parallel 
with  the  Ohio.  Below  Blue  river,  the  country  is  level,  and  cov- 
ered with  heavy  timber.  Between  the  Wabash  river  and  Lake 
Michigan,  there  is  a  champaign  country,  chiefly  meadow,  inter- 
sected by  forests  of  fine  trees,  abounding  in  swamps,  and  inland 
lakes,  the  sources  of  numerous  streams.  From  the  south  bank  of 
the  St.  Joseph  river  extend  rich  meadow  lands,  from  one  to  ten 
miles  in  breadth,  and  of  variable  length;  the  soil  is  dry,  being  at 
least  100  feet  above  high  water.  The  soil  around  the  sources  of 
Eel  river,  Panther's  creek,  and  St.  Joseph  of  the  Miami,  and 
between  the  two  extreme  branches  of  the  Wabash,  is  generally 
low  and  swampy,  but  interspersed  with  tracts  of  good  soil.  The 
overflowing  of  the  rivers  is  very  extensive;  and,  as  most  of  them 
have  a  winding  course,  they  water  one-half  more  of  the  coun- 
try, than  if  they  ran  in  a  straight  line.  General  Harrison,  who 
traversed  this  country  in  every  direction,  remarks,  "that  the  finest 
country  in  all  the  western  world  is  that  which  is  bounded  east- 
wardly  by  the  counties  of  Wayne,  Franklin,  and  part  of  Dear- 
born, Switzerland,  and  Jefferson;  westward  by  the  tract  called  the 
New  Purchase;  and  extending  northwardly  some  small  distance 
beyond  the  Wabash.  This  tract,  containing  perhaps  10,000,000 
of  acres,  is  principally  the  property  of  the  Miami  tribe  of  Indians; 
part  of  it  of  the  Miamis  and  Delawares.  It  includes  all  the 
head  waters  of  the  White  river,  and  the  branches  of  the  Wabash 
which  fall  in  from  the  south  and  southeast.* 

Climate. — In  all  the  high  country  the  climate  is  particularly 
healthy;  but  in  the  low  alluvial  soil,  formed  of  decaying  vege- 
table substances,  the  air  is  unfriendly  to  health.  The  winter  is 
milder,  and  much  shorter,  than  in  the  northern  states.  The  fine 
weather  generally  continues  to  Christmas,  and  spring  com- 
mences about  the  middle  of  February.  The  peach  blossoms  about 
the  1st  of  March,  and  the  woods  are  green  by  the  10th  of  April. 
But  some  winters  are  much  colder.  In  that  of  1815  the  frost  con- 
tinued two  or  three  weeks;  the  snow  was  from  six  to  nine  inches 
deep;  and  the  ice  of  the  Wabash,  in  many  places,  was  strong  enough 
to  be  passed  over.  Apple,  cherry,  and  peach  trees  thrive  well; 

*Appendix  to  the  Western  Gazetteer,  p.  358. 


218  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

tobacco  also  thrives  as  well  here  as  in  Virginia.  The  vine  and  sweet 
potatoe  are  cultivated  at  New  Switzerland  and  Vevay.  Below 
Ouitanon,  in  latitude  40°  20',  the  climate  is  mild.  Above  the 
sources  of  the  Wabash,  where  the  north  and  north-westerly  winds 
prevail,  the  winters  are  much  more  severe.  •  The  reed  cane  grows 
as  high  up  as  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Miami.  Cotton  is  raised  at 
Vincennes,  Princeton,  Harmony,  and  in  the  settlements  below 
the  mouth  of  Anderson;  though  it  does  not  grow  to  perfection 
above  the  thirty-first  degree  of  latitude. 

Rivers. — This  state  is  watered  by  the  rivers  Ohio  and  Wabash, 
and  their  numerous  branches;  the  southern  parts  by  the  former, 
over  a  distance  of  472  miles,  following  its  course  from  the  entrance 
of  the  Big  Miami  to  that  of  the  Wabash.  The  principal  branches 
of  the  Ohio  are — 1.  Tanner's  creek,  which  rises  in  the  flat  woods 
to  the  south  of  Brookville;  and  running  a  course  of  thirty  miles, 
falls  in  below  Lawrenceburgh,  where  it  is  thirty  yards  wide.  2. 
Loughery's  creek,  forty  miles  in  length,  and  fifty  yards  wide  at  its 
entrance;  falls  in  eleven  miles  below  the  Big  Miami.  3.  Indian 
creek,  called  also  Indian  Kentucky,  and  by  the  Swiss,  Venoge,* 
rises  in  the  hills  near  the  south  fork  of  White  river,  forty-five 
miles  north-east  of  Vevay,  and  falls  in  eight  miles  below  the  mouth 
of  Kentucky  river.  It  forms  the  southern  limit  of  the  Swiss  set- 
tlement. 4.  Wyandot  creek  issues  from  the  hills  which  extend  in  a 
transverse  direction  from  near  the  mouth  of  Blue  river  to  the 
Muddy  fork  of  White  river,  and  joins  the  Ohio  at  about  an  equal 
distace  between  the  falls  and  Blue  river.  5.  Big  Blue  river,  so 
named  from  the  colour  of  its  waters,  rises  farther  north,  near  the 
South  fork  of  White  river,  runs  fifty  miles  south-west,  and  then, 
taking  a  southern  direction,  enters  the  Ohio  thirty-two  miles  below 
the  mouth  of  Salt  river.  It  is  about  fifty  yards  in  breadth,  and  is 
navigable  forty  miles  to  a  rift,  which,  if  removed,  would  extend  it 
farther  ten  or  twelve  miles. f  6.  Little  Blue  river,  forty  yards 
wide,  has  its  entrance  thirteen  miles  below  the  former.  7.  Ander- 
son's river,  which  joins  the  Ohio  sixty  miles  farther  down,  is  the 
most  considerable  stream  below  Blue  river  and  the  Wabash. 
Besides  these,  there  are  several  creeks,  but  none  of  great  length. 
The  current  of  all  these  streams  is  pretty  rapid,  and  their  waters 
are  good.  The  Wabash,  which  waters  the  middle  and  western 
parts  of  the  state,  rises  from  two  sources  near  the  eastern  bound- 
ary line,  about  100  miles  from  Lake  Erie,  and  runs  across  the  state 

*The  name  of  a  small  river  of  Switzerland,  in  the  Pays  de  Vaud. 
tSchultz.  Vol.  I.,p.  196. 


DAVID  BAILLIE  WARDEN.  219 

in  a  south-western  and  southern  course  of  above  500  miles,  dis- 
charging its  waters  into  the  Ohio  in  latitude  37°  21'.  The  prin- 
cipal upper  branch  of  the  Wabash  has  its  source  two  miles  east  of 
old  Fort  St.  Mary's;  another,  called  Little  river,  rises  seven  miles 
south  of  Fort  Wayne,  and  enters  about  eighty  miles  below  the  St. 
Mary's  Portage;  a  third,  the  Massassinway,  rises  in  Darke  county, 
state  of  Ohio;  a  fourth,  Eel  river,  issues  from  several  lakes  and 
ponds  eighteen  miles  west  of  Fort  Wayne,  and  enters  the  Wabash 
eight  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  former,  which  unites  five  miles 
below  the  mouth  of  Little  river.  White  river,  the  largest  branch 
of  the  Wabash,  is  200  miles  in  length.  At  the  distance  of  thirty- 
five  miles  from  its  mouth,  (sixteen  miles  below  Vincennes,)  it 
divides  into  two  branches,  which  water  the  south-eastern  parts 
of  the  state  below  the  fortieth  degree  of  latitude.  The  northern, 
called  the  Drift  Wood  branch,  interlocks  with  the  north  fork  of 
White  water,  and  with  the  Still  water  of  the  Big  Miami.  The 
southern,  known  by  the  name  of  Muddy  Fork,  rises  between  the 
West  fork  of  the  White  water.  The  Northern  fork  has  a  branch, 
called  Teakettle,  which  extends  from  its  junction,  twenty  miles 
above  that  of  the  two  principal  forks,  across  the  intervening  sur- 
face. During  the  period  of  high  water,  both  the  branches  of  the 
White  river  are  boatable  to  the  distance  of  130  miles.  The 
Petoka  river  has  its  source  near  that  of  the  southern  branch  of 
White  river,  with  which  it  runs  parallel  at  the  distance  of  ten 
or  twelve  miles;  and,  after  a  course  of  seventy-five,  it  joins  the 
Wabash,  twyenty  miles  below  Vincennes.  Decke  river,  a  short 
winding  stream,  which  somes  from  the  north-east,  falls  in  about 
half  way  between  Vincennes  and  White  river.  Little  river,  from 
the  French  name  La  Petite  Riviere,  comes  also  from  the  north- 
east, and  enters  a  little  above  Vincennes.  The  St.  Marie,  from  the 
same  quarter,  is  fifty  miles  long,  and  enters  eighteen  miles  above 
Vincennes;  and,  eighteen  miles  higher,  is  Rocky  river,  which  is  100 
yards  wide  at  its  mouth;  it  has  several  large  branches.  Another 
Little  river,  which  comes  from  the  south-east,  from  near  the 
sources  of  Rocky  river,  is  the  only  stream  from  this  last  which 
enters  from  the  left,  to  the  distance  of  seventy  miles.  Pomme 
river,  which  rises  to  the  north  of  the  head  branches  of  White  water, 
comes  from  the  south-east,  and  falls  in  twenty  miles  belowr  the 
mouth  of  Massassinway.  Richard's  creek,  ten  miles  below  on  the 
right  side,  is  a  considerable  stream;  and  about  an  equal  distance 
farther  south  is  Rock  river,  from  the  north-west,  which  passes 
through  a  broken  country.  Eight  miles  farther  down  is  the  Tip- 


220  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

pacanoe,  which  has  its  source  about  twenty  miles  west  of  Fort 
Wayne.  Several  of  its  branches,  issuing  from  lakes,  swamps,  and 
ponds,  communicate  with  the  St.  Joseph's  of  the  Miami  of  the 
lakes.  Farther  south  are  several  streams  coming  from  the  west  or 
north-west,  running  at  the  distance  of  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles 
from  each  other;  the  Pine  and  Red  Wood  creeks,  Rejoicing;  or 
Vermillion  Jaune,  Little  Vermillion,  Erabliere,  Duchat,  and 
Brouette.  White  Water  river,  so  called  from  the  transparency  of  its 
waters,  runs  across  the  southeastern  parts  of  the  state  in  its  course 
to  the  Great  Miami,  and  is  said  to  water  nearly  a  million  of  acres 
of  fine  land;  it  is  more  than  100  yards  wide;  its  western  branch 
interlocks  with  those  of  White  river.  The  north-eastern  parts 
of  the  state  are  watered  by  the  St.  Joseph's  of  the  Miami  of  the 
lakes,  which  has  its  source  about  sixty  miles  north-west  of  Fort 
Wayne,  above  which  it  forms  a  junction  with  the  St.  Mary's; 
and  its  remote  branches  interramify  with  those  of  the  Raisin  and 
Black  rivers,  the  St.  Joseph  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  Eel  river. 
The  borders  adjoining  the  Michigan  territory  are  watered  by  the 
head  branches  of  the  river  Raison  of  Lake  Erie,  the  branches  of 
Black  river,  and  the  St.  Joseph  of  Lake  Michigan.  The  branches 
of  the  latter  have  a  communication  with  those  of  Eel  river.  The 
north-western  parts  are  watered  by  several  streams  flowing  into 
Lake  Michigan;  the  rivers  Chemin,  Big  and  Little  Kennomic; 
the  Theakiki,  Kickapoo,  and  many  smaller  streams. 

Chicago  river,  which  runs  into  the  south-western  extremity  of 
Lake  Michigan,  at  the  distance  of  sixteen  miles  from  its  mouth, 
divides  into  two  branches.  It  forms  a  harbour,  into  which  sloops 
of  forty  tons  enter.  The  Great  Kennomic,  which  also  empties  into 
Lake  Michigan,  thirty  miles  east  of  the  former,  has  its  source  at 
the  distance  of  twenty  or  thirty  miles  south  of  this  lake;  and  runs 
first  nearly  westward,  in  a  direction  parallel  to  the  shore  of  the 
lake;  it  then  makes  a  doubling,  and  runs  nearly  eastward,  after 
which  it  pursues  a  northern  course,  for  a  few  miles,  to  the  lake. 
Its  outlet  forms  a  spacious  bay. 

Lakes. — The  upper  parts  of  this  state  are  diversified  with  a 
number  of  lakes,  thirty-eight  of  which,  delineated  on  the  latest 
maps,  are  from  two  to  ten  miles  in  length;  and  the  whole  number 
is  said  to  exceed  a  hundred.  Some  are  found  to  have  two  outlets, 
into  the  lakes  on  one  side,  and  into  the  Mississippi  on  the  other. 
Most  of  these  small  lakes  are  situated  between  the  sources  of  the 
two  St.  Josephs,  Black  River,  Raisin,  Tippacanoe,  and  Eel  rivers. 

Extent  of  Navigable  Waters. — The  Ohio  river  washes  the  south- 


DAVID  BAILLIE^WARDEN.  221 

ern  boundary  of  Indiana,  for  the  distance  of  472  miles;  the  Wabash 
is  navigable  470;*  White  river  and  its  forks,  160;  Petoka,  30; 
Blue  river,  40;  Whitewater,  40;  Rocky  river,  45;  Pomme,  30; 
Massassinway,  45;  Eel  and  Little  rivers,  60;  western  tributaries  of 
the  Wabash,  330;  St.  Joseph's  of  the  Miami  and  Panther's  creek, 
75;  Elkhart  and  part  of  St.  Joseph's  of  Lake  Michigan,  100; 
Great  and  Little  Kennomic,  120;  Chemin  river,  40;  Chicago  and 
Kickapoo,  80;  Theakaki  and  parts  of  Fox,  Plein,  and  Illinois, 
300 ;f  southern  coast  of  Lake  Michigan,  50.  In  all,  2,487. 

A  company,  with  a  capital  of  a  million  of  dollars,  has  been  incor- 
porated by  the  legislature,  for  the  purpose  of  opening  a  canal  along 
the  falls,  or  rapids,  of  the  Ohio,  which,  when  executed,  will  be  of 
great  advantage 

Minerals. — Silver  ore  is  said  to  have  been  discovered  at  a  place 
about  twenty-eight  miles  above  Ouitanon,  on  the  northern  side 
of  the  Wabash  ;J  copperas  on  the  high  bank  of  Silver  creek,  about 
two  miles  from  its  mouth;  iron  ore  on  White  river,  and  other 
places.  Between  White  river  and  New  Lexington,  the  wells  are  so 
impregnated  with  copperas,  that  they  blacken  linen;  and  being 
considered  by  the  inhabitants  as  very  unwholesome,  several  of 
them  have  on  this  account  abandoned  their  habitations.  A  chalyb- 
eate spring,  containing  sulphur  and  iron,  near  Jeffersonville,  is 
much  frequented.  Coal. — Mr.  Hutchins  states,  "That  the  hills 
are  replenished  with  the  best  coal;  that  there  is  plenty  of  swine- 
stone  and  freestone;  blue,  yellow,  and  white  clay,  for  glassworks 

*The  Wabash,  at  its  mouth,  is  300  yards  wide;  at  Vincennes,  100  miles  from  its 
mouth,  from  forty  to  seventy  rods,  and  it  is  navigable  thence  to  the  rapids  of  Ouitanon, 
for  keel  boats,  or  barges  drawing  three  feet  water,  about  212  miles.  Above  this  village 
small  boats  ascend  nearly  200  miles  farther,  to  within  six  miles  of  St.  Mary's  river, 
ten  of  Fort  Wayne,  and  eight  of  the  St.  Joseph's,  flowing  into  the  Miami  of  the  lakes. 
The  banks  of  this  beautiful  river  are  high,  and  less  subject  to  inundation  than  any  other 
in  this  country,  except  the  Ohio,  though  when  the  waters  rise  in  March,  its  borders 
are  partially  overflowed  from  Fort  Harrison  to  Vincennes,  120  miles  by  water,  and  55 
by  land,  and  opposite  this  last  place  to  the  distance  of  four  or  five  miles,  which  obliges 
the  farmers  to  remove  their  cattle  and  swine.  The  rapids  at  Ouitanon  are  impassable 
for  boats,  but  small  vessels  of  thirty  tons  burden  can  navigate  between  this  place  and 
Vincennes. 

^Portages. — In  the  northern  parts  of  the  state  the  Wabash  and  Illinois  rivers  are 
connected  with  Lakes  Erie  and  Michigan,  by  numerous  branches,  which  issue  from 
sources  near  one  another.  Of  twenty  portages  near  the  Michigan  frontier,  only  two 
have  been  traversed  by  the  white  settlers.  One  extending  nine  miles,  between  near 
Fort  Wayne  on  the  St.  Mary's  and  the  Little  river  branch  of  the  Wabash  is  a  good  route 
in  dry  seasons.  It  was  by  this  channel  the  French  passed  from  the  lakes  to  their  post 
on  the  Wabash  River.  The  other  portage,  much  shorter,  extends  between  the  Chicago 
and  Kickapoo  branch  of  the  Illinois,  and  so  level  is  the  surface,  that  during  the  rise 
of  their  waters,  boats  pass  between  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Illinois  River. 

See  Volney's  account  of  this  internal  water  communication  between  the  lakes  and 
waters  of  the  Mississippi. 

JHutchins,  p.  28. 


222  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

and  pottery,"  There  is  a  coal  mine  a  little  below  the  forks  of 
White  river. 

Salt  Springs.—  Some  valuable  salt  springs  have  been  discovered 
on  the  Wabash  river,  and  also  on  Salina  creek,  which  are  leased  by 
the  government  of  the  United  States  to  contractors,  who  are 
obliged  not  to  receive  more  for  salt  than  half  a  dollar  a  bushel  at 
the  works;  but  through  the  agency  of  private  copartners,  it  is  not 
sold  at  the  storehouses  for  less  than  two  dollars.*  Near  the  town 
of  New  Lexington,  at  the  depth  of  520  feet,  the  salt  wells  give  from 
three  to  four  bushels  of  salt  to  the  hundred  gallons  of  water.  These 
works  are  the  property  of  General  Macfarland.  Glauber's  salt, 
or  sulphate  of  potash,  has  been  lately  found  in  a  cave  situated 
twelve  miles  from  the  Ohio  river,  and  about  the  same  distance 
west  of  New  Albany.  The  quantity  is  so  great  as  to  promise  an 
inexhaustible  supply.  Epsom  salt  (sulphate  of  magnesia)  has  been 
also  found  in  a  cave  about  thirty-five  leagues  from  Louisville; 
and  saltpetre  exists  in  certain  caves  in  the  neighbourhood.  A  sec- 
tion of  land  of  160  acres,  containing  these  treasures,  was  pur- 
chasedf  at  two  dollars  an  acre. 

Forest  Trees  and  Shrubs. — Mr.  Hutchins  remarks,  that  the 
timber  on  the  Wabash  river  is  large,  high,  and  in  such  variety, 
that  almost  all  the  different  kinds  growing  upon  the  Ohio,  and  its 
branches,  (but  with  a  greater  proportion  of  black  and  white  mul- 
berry trees,)  may  be  found  here.J  The  natural  meadows  are 
intersected  by  narrow  woods,  containing  oak,  ash,  maple,  locust, 
poplar,  plum,  and  the  crab-apple  tree.  On  the  outside  of  these 
meadows  oak  abounds,  and  grows  to  a  great  size.  The  principal 
trees  on  the  branches  of  White  river  are  white  oak,  hickery,  and 
black  walnut.  The  hills  of  Whitewater  river  terminate  in  a  level 
and  rich  country,  thickly  wooded  with  oak,  walnut,  beech,  ash, 
elm,  hickery,  maple,  sugar  tree,  &c.  On  Silver  creek,  Canerun, 
and  other  branches  of  the  Ohio,  and  the  south  fork  of  White  river, 
hickery  and  oak  abound.  The  banks  of  Blue  river  are  also  cov- 
ered with  oak  and  locust;  the  neighbouring  hills  with  black  wal- 
nut, oak,  hickery,  ash,  sugar  maple;  the  low  intervening  grounds 
with  bass-wood,  papaw,  honey-locust,  buck-eye,  and  spice-wood, 
with  the  wild  vine,  and  various  shrubs.  Along  the  borders  of 
Whitewater  river,  ginseng  grows  to  an  uncommon  size;  on  the 
poor  soil  of  the  spurs  of  the  hills,  the  columbo  root  abounds.  The 

*Schultz,  Vol.  I.,  p.  199. 
t — By  Dr.  Adams, 
t — Page  28. 


DAVID  BAILLIE  WARDEN.  223 

cane  grows  to  the  south  of  the  ridge  of  hills,  which  extend  from  the 
falls  of  the  Ohio  to  those  of  the  Wabash,  above  the  mouth  of  White 
river,  and  in  some  places  as  far  north  as  the  mouth  of  the  Big 
Miami.  An  extraordinary  phenomenon  is  met  with  in  this 
country  in  the  woods  along  White  river, — natural  wells,  from  ten 
to  fifteen  feet  deep,  formed  by  the  decay  of  the  trunks  and  roots 
of  large  sycamore  trees. 

Animals. — The  woods  abound  with  deer.  Bears  and  wolves 
are  also  numerous.  Of  the  feathered  race  of  game,  wild  turkeys, 
ducks,  and  pigeons,  swarm  in  the  woods,  and  on  the  waters  of  the 
northern  parts.  The  rattlesnake  and  copperhead  snake  infest  the 
woody  country,  but  are  seldom  seen  on  the  low  lands.  Fishes. — 
Of  the  fish  which  inhabit  the  rivers,  we  find  no  particular  account. 
The  Great  Kennomic  of  Lake  Michigan  is  said  to  furnish  the 
Indians  with  an  inexhaustible  supply.* 

Civil  or  Administrative  Division  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  with  the 

Population   of  each   County   and   Chief   Town  in   1810, 

the  year  of  the  last  Enumeration. 

Counties.  Population.  Chief  Towns. 

Clarke 7,000  Jeffersonville. f 

Dearborn .  5 , 426 Lawrenceburgh.  J 

Franklin 7,970  Brookville.§ 

Gibson 5 , 330  Princeton. 

Harrison 6,769  Corydon. 

Jefferson 4 , 093  Maddison. 

*Western  Gazetteer,  p.  77. 

fJeffersonville,  situated  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio,  a  little  above  the  falls,  and  nearly 
opposite  Louisville,  contained,  in  1816,  about  130  houses. 

tLawrenceburgh,  situated  on  the  Ohio  River,  two  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the 
Big  Miami,  has  not  succeeded  as  was  expected,  owing  to  the  annual  inundation  of  the 
river.  A  new  town  has  been  laid  out  half  a  mile  farther  up  on  an  elevated  situation, 
and  named  Edinburgh.  A  place  called  "Rising  Sun,"  in  the  same  county  of  Dear- 
born, situated  on  an  elevated  bank  of  the  Ohio,  between  Vevay  and  Lawrenceburgh, 
contains  thirty  or  forty  houses.  Its  growth  has  been  rapid;  and  it  will  probably 
become  a  place  of  considerable  trade. 

§Brookville,  in  Franklin  County,  situated  between  the  branches  of  White  River,  thirty 
miles  north  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  established  in  1811;  but  being  within  fifteen  miles 
of  the  Indian  line  of  demarcation,  it  did  not  increase  during  the  late  war ;  since  the  peace, 
however,  its  growth  has  been  very  rapid.  In  1816  it  contained  eighty  dwelling-houses 
a  grist  mill,  two  saw  mills,  two  fulling  mills,  three  carding  machines,  and  a  printing 
office,  besides  a  great  number  of  workshops.  The  ground,  elevated  between  seventy 
and  eighty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river,  is  dry  and  pleasant,  and  is  peculiarly 
favourable  for  the  establishment  of  manufactures,  the  branches  of  the  river  affording 
fine  situations  for  the  erection  of  water  machinery.  Harrison  village,  in  the  same 
county,  eight  miles  from  the  mouth  of  Whitewater,  on  the  northern  side,  and  eighteen 
northeast  [southeast]  of  Brookville,  commenced  about  the  year  1800,  and  in  1816 
contained  thirty-five  houses. 


224  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Counties.  Population.  Chief  Towns. 

Knox 6,800  Vineennes* 

Switzerland 3,500   Vevey.f 

Washington 6,606   Salem. 

Wayne 6,290   Salisbury. 

Orange 

Posey 3,000 

Perry 3,000 

Warwick 3,000 


68,784 
Population. — 
In  1800  the  population  amounted  to    4,875. 

1810,  24,520  of  whom  237  were  slaves. 

1815,  68,784 

According  to  the  numeration  of  1810  there  were  23,890  whites. 

237  slaves. 
393  fr.  blacks. 


24,520 
Increase  in  5  years 44,264. 

The  settlements  extend  chiefly  along  the  Ohio,  the  branches  of 
the  Big  Miami,  the  Wabash,  and  the  Whitewater  river.  The 
most  ancient  and  most  populous  part  of  the  state  is  Knox  county, 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Wabash  river,  and  watered  by  several  of  its 
branches,  the  Decke,  White  river,  Little  river,  St.  Mary's,  Bus- 
seron,  Racoon,  and  Ambush  creeks.  It  contains  20,000  acres  of 
the  best  meadow  and  alluvial  land. 

Constitution. — Indiana  was  under  a  territorial  government  till 
1816.  Agreeably  to  an  act  of  Congress,  of  16th  April  that  year,  a 
convention  was  held  at  Corydon,  on  the  29th  June,  consisting  of 

*Vincennes,  formerly  St.  Vincent,  situated  in  Latitude  38°  51'  north,  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Wabash  River,  on  a  level  and  beautiful  surface,  nearly  200  miles  from  its 
junction  with  the  Ohio,  following  its  course,  but  100  only  in  a  straight  line,  contained 
in  1816  about  100  houses.  The  inhabitants  raise  Indian  corn,  wheat  and  tobacco  of 
excellent  quality.  They  have  a  fine  breed  of  horses,  (brought  originally  by  the  Indiana 
from  the  Spanish  settlements  on  the  western  side  of  the  river  Mississippi.)  and  large 
herds  of  swine  and  black  cattle.  The  settlers  deal  with  the  natives  for  furs  and  deer 
skins,  to  the  amount  of  L.  5,000  annually.  In  1817,  steam  mills  upon  an  extensive 
scale  were  begun  to  be  built.  Ouitanon,  a  small  stocked  fort  on  the  western  side  of 
the  Wabash,  traded  with  the  neighbouring  Indians  to  the  amount  of  about  L.  8,000  a 
year. —  (Hutchins,  p.  28, 31.) 

tVevay,  situated  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio,  was  laid  out  in  1813;  and  in  1816  the 
number  of  dwelling  houses  had  incerased  to  eighty-four;  the  shops  for  mechanics  to 
thirty-four;  the  stores  to  eight;  the  taverns  to  three.  A  court  house,  jail,  and  school 
house,  were  then  building  of  brick  materials.  Vevay  is  seventy  miles  by  water,  and 
forty-five  by  land,  below  Cincinnati.  New  Switzerland,  near  the  former,  extending 
four  miles  along  the  Ohio  from  Indian  creek  or  Venoge,  was  established  in  1805  by 
emigrants  from  the  Pays  de  Vaud,  with  the  view  of  cultivating  the  vine.  The  vine- 
yards are  now  very  extensive,  and  the  settlement  is  in  a  prosperous  state. 


DAVID  BAILLIE  WARDEN.  225 

forty-one  delegates,  chosen  by  all  the  male  citizens  of  the  state 
who  were  twenty-one  years  of  age,  had  paid  taxes,  and  resided  a 
year  in  the  territory.  These  delegates  framed  the  constitution  of 
the  state. 

The  first  article  declares,  that  all  power  is  inherent  in  the  peo- 
ple, that  all  free  governments  are  founded  on  their  authority, 
and  instituted  for  their  peace,  safety,  and  happiness;  and  that,  for 
the  advancement  of  these  ends,  they  have,  at  all  times,  an  unalien- 
able  and  indefeasible  right  to  alter  or  reform  their  government  as 
they  may  deem  proper;  that  all  men  have  a  natural  right  to  wor- 
ship God  according  to  the  dictates  of  their  own  consciences; 
that  no  man  shall  be  compelled  to  attend  any  place  of  worship, 
or  to  maintain  any  ministry  against  his  consent ;  that  no  preference 
shall  be  given  by  law  to  any  religious  sect;  that  no  religious  test 
shall  be  required  as  a  qualification  to  any  office  of  trust  or  profit; 
that  elections  shall  be  free  and  equal;  the  right  of  trial  by  jury 
inviolate  in  all  civil  cases  where  the  value  in  controversy  shall 
exceed  the  sum  of  twenty  dollars,  and  in  all  criminal  cases,  except 
in  petit  misdemeanours,  which  shall  be  punishable  by  fine  only, 
not  exceeding  three  dollars,  in  such  manner  as  the  legislature  may 
prescribe  by  law.  All  persons,  their  houses,  papers,  and  effects,  to 
be  secure  against  unreasonable  searches  and  seizures.  The 
printing-presses  to  be  free  to  every  person.  In  all  indictments  for 
libels,  the  jury  shall  decide  upon  the  law  and  the  facts;  that  all 
courts  shall  be  open;  that  no  person  arrested  or  confined  in  jail, 
shall  be  treated  with  unnecessary  rigour;  that  all  persons  shall  be 
bailable  by  sufficient  sureties,  unless  for  capital  offences,  when  the 
proof  is  evident  or  the  presumption  great,  and  that  excessive  bail 
shall  not  be  required.  That  the  privilege  of  the  right  of  habeas 
corpus  shall  not  be  suspended,  unless  in  case  of  rebellion  or  inva- 
sion, nor  then,  unless  the  public  safety  require  it.  No  ex  post 
facto  law,  nor  any  law  impairing  the  validity  of  contracts,  shall 
ever  be  made,  and  no  conviction  shall  work  corruption  of  blood,  nor 
forfeiture  of  estate.  The  people  to  have  a  right  to  assemble  together 
in  a  peaceable  manner,  to  consult  for  the  public  good,  to  instruct 
their  representatives,  and  apply  to  the  legislature  for  a  redres 
of  grievances.  The  people  to  have  a  right  to  bear  arms  for  the 
defence  of  themselves  and  the  state;  the  military  to  be  kept  in 
strict  subordination  to  the  civil  power;  no  soldier  to  be  quartered 
in  any  house  without  the  consent  of  the  owner,  in  time  of  peace. 
The  legislature  not  to  grant  any  title  of  nobility,  or  hereditary  dis- 

T — is 


226  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

tinction,  nor  to  create  any  office,  the  appointment  to  which  shall 
be  for  a  longer  term  than  good  behaviour. 

Emigration  from  the  state  not  to  be  prohibited.  These  rights 
are  to  remain  for  ever  inviolable,  and  in  order  to  guard  against  any 
encroachments  thereon,  are  excepted  out  of  the  general  powers 
of  government. 

The  legislative  authority  is  vested  in  a  general  assembly,  con- 
sisting of  a  senate  and  house  of  representatives,  both  elected  by  the 
people.  The  number  of  representatives  to  be  fixed  by  the  gen- 
eral assembly,  according  to  the  number  of  white  male  inhabitants 
above  twenty-one  years  of  age  m  each  county,  and  never  to  be 
less  than  twenty-five,  nor  greater  than  thirty-six,  until  the  num- 
ber of  white  male  inhabitants,  above  twenty-one  years  of  age,  shall 
be  22,000;  and  after  that  takes  place,  in  such  ratio,  that  the  whole 
number  of  representatives  shall  never  be  less  than  36,  nor  exceed 
100.  An  enumeration  of  the  white  male  inhabitants,  above  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years,  to  be  made  in  the  year  1820,  and  every 
subsequent  term  of  five  years.  The  representatives  to  be  chosen 
annually  by  the  qualified  electors  of  each  county  respectively, 
on  the  first  Monday  of  August.  The  qualifications  of  representa- 
tives are,  to  have  attained  the  age  of  twenty-one  years;  to  be  a 
citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  an  inhabitant  of  the  state;  to 
have  resided  within  the  limits  of  the  county  in  which  he  is  chosen, 
one  year  next  preceding  his  election,  and  to  have  paid  state  or 
county  taxes. 

The  senators  to  be  chosen  on  the  first  Monday  of  August,  for 
three  years,  by  the  qualified  voters  for  representatives;  to  be 
divided  into  three  classes,  which  are  to  be  renewed  in  succession 
annually.  The  number  of  senators  never  to  be  less  than  one-third, 
nor  more  than  one-half  of  the  number  of  representatives.  The 
qualifications  of  a  senator  are,  1.  To  have  attained  the  age  of 
twenty-five  years.  2.  To  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and 
to  have  resided  two  years,  preceding  the  election,  in  the  state, 
and  the  last  twelve  months  in  the  county  or  district,  unless  absent 
on  public  business.  3.  To  have  paid  state  or  county  tax.  Two- 
thirds  of  each  house  constitute  a  quorum,  but  a  smaller  number 
may  adjourn  from  day  to  day,  and  compel  the  attendance  of  absent 
members.  The  members  of  both  houses  to  be  privileged  from 
arrest  during  the  session  of  the  general  assembly,  except  in  cases 
of  treason,  felony,  or  breach  of  the  peace.  Both  houses  to  be  open 
except  in  cases  requiring  secrecy.  Bills  may  originate  in  either 
house,  subject  to  alteration,  amendment,  or  rejection  in  the 


DAVID  BAILLIE  WARDEN.  227 

other,  except  bills  for  raising  revenue,  which  shall  originate  in 
the  house  of  representatives.  No  person  holding  any  office  under 
the  authority  of  the  president  of  the  United  States,  or  of  the  state, 
except  militia  officers,  are  eligible  to  a  seat  in  either  branch  of  the 
general  assembly,  unless  he  resign  his  office  previous  to  his  elec- 
tion ;  nor  can  any  member  of  either  branch  of  the  general  assembly 
be  eligible  to  any  office  during  the  time  for  which  he  is  elected,  the 
appointment  of  which  is  vested  in  the  general  assembly.  An  accur- 
ate statement  of  the  receipts  and  expenditure  of  the  public  money 
to  be  published  with  the  laws  at  every  annual  session  of  the  gen- 
eral assembly.  The  governor  and  all  civil  officers  of  the  state 
are  liable  to  removal  from  office,  on  impeachment  for,  or  convic- 
tion of  treason,  bribery,  or  other  high  crimes  and  misdemeanours; 
and  to  indictment,  trial,  judgment,  and  punishment,  according  to 
law.  The  general  assembly  meets  on  the  first  Monday  in  Decem- 
ber. 

The  governor  is  chosen  by  the  qualified  electors,  (on  the  first 
Monday  in  August,  at  the  places  where  they  respectively  vote  for 
representatives,)  for  the  term  of  three  years,  and  cannot  hold  this 
office  longer  than  six  years  in  any  term  of  nine  years.  The  qualifi- 
cations are,  1.  To  be  thirty  years  of  age.  2.  To  have  been  a 
citizen  of  the  United  States  ten  years;  and  resided  in  the  state 
five  years  next  preceding  his  election,  unless  absent  on  public 
business.  The  salary  of  the  governor  neither  to  be  increased 
nor  diminished  during  the  term  for  which  he  shall  have  been  elec- 
ted. He  is  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  and  navy  of  the  state, 
and  of  the  militia,  except  when  called  into  the  service  of  the 
United  States;  but  he  is  not  to  command  in  person,  except  advised 
so  to  do  by  a  resolution  of  the  general  assembly.  By  and  with  the 
consent  of  the  senate,  he  is  authorized  to  appoint  and  commis- 
sion all  officers,  the  appointment  of  which  is  not  otherwise  directed 
by  the  constitution.  He  has  power  to  fill  up  vacancies  in  offices, 
the  appointment  of  which  is  vested  in  the  governor  and  senate,  or 
in  the  general  assembly.  To  remit  fines  and  forfeitures;  grant 
reprieves  and  pardons,  except  in  cases  of  impeachment;  to  con- 
vene the  general  assembly  on  extraordinary  occasions;  to  approve 
and  sign  every  bill,  or  to  return  it  to  the  house  with  his  objections 
for  reconsideration.  In  case  of  death  or  resignation  his  functions 
are  exercised  by  the  lieutenant-governor. 

The  secretary  of  state  is  chosen  by  the  joint  ballot  of  both 
houses  of  the  general  assembly,  for  the  term  of  four  years,  and 
is  commissioned  by  the  governor.  The  treasurer  and  auditor  for 


228  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

three  years.  A  sheriff  and  coroner  are  elected  in  each  county,  by 
the  qualified  electors;  they  continue  in  office  two  years,  and  are 
not  eligible  more  than  four,  in  any  term  of  six  years.* 

Judiciary. — The  judicial  power  is  vested  in  a  supreme  court, 
in  circuit  courts,  and  such  other  inferior  courts  as  the  general 
assembly  may,  from  time  to  time,  erect  and  establish.  The 
supreme  court  to  consist  of  three  judges,  any  two  of  whom  shall 
form  a  quorum,  and  shall  have  appellate  jurisdiction  only,  co- 
extensive with  the  limits  of  the  state.  The  general  assembly  may 
give  to  this  court  original  jurisdiction  in  capital  cases,  and  cases 
in  chancery,  where  the  president  of  the  circuit  court  may  be 
interested  or  prejudiced. 

The  circuit  courts  each  to  have  a  president,  and  two  associate 
judges.  The  state  to  be  divided  into  three  circuits,  but  the  num- 
ber may  be  afterwards  increased,  and  a  president  to  be  appointed 
and  to  preside  in  each.  The  president  and  associate  judges,  in 
their  respective  counties,  to  have  common  law  and  chancery 
jurisdiction,  and  also  complete  criminal  jurisdiction,  in  all  such 
cases  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law.  The  judges  to  hold  their  offices 
for  the  term  of  seven  years.  The  judges  of  the  supreme  court  are 
appointed  by  the  governor,  by  and  with  the  advice  of  the  sen- 
ate. The  presidents  of  the  circuit  courts,  by  joint  ballot  of  both 
branches  of  the  general  assembly.  The  associate  judges  of  the 
circuit  courts  are  elected  by  the  qualified  electors  in  the  respec- 
tive counties.  The  clerk  of  the  supreme  court  is  appointed  by  the 
court  itself;  those  of  the  circuit  court  in  the  several  counties  are 
elected  by  the  qualified  electors.  Justices  of  the  peace  are  elected 
for  five  years  by  the  qualified  electors  in  each  township. 

Militia. — The  militia  consists  of  all  free,   able-bodied   male 

*The  constitution  may  be  revised,  amended,  or  changed  by  a  convention,  to  be 
held  every  twelfth  year  for  that  purpose,  if  a  majority  of  the  qualified  electors,  at  the 
general  election  of  governor,  vote  in  favour  of  this  measure,  (Art.  8),  Slavery  or  in- 
voluntary servitude  can  never  be  introduced  into  the  state,  except  for  the  punishment  of 
crimes,  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly  convicted,  and  no  indenture  of  any 
negro  or  mulatto  hereafter  made  and  executed,  out  of  the  bounds  of  this  state,  can  be 
of  any  validity  within  the  state. 

By  the  9th  Article  of  the  Constitution,  the  general  assembly  is  authorized  to  grant 
lands  for  the  support  of  seminaries  and  public  schools;  and,  so  soon  as  circumstances 
permit,  they  are  to  provide  for  a  general  system  of  education,  ascending  in  a  regular 
gradation  from  township  schools  to  a  state  university,  in  which  education  shall  be 
afforded  gratis,  and  be  open  equally  to  all.  The  sums  paid  by  the  persons  as  an  equiva- 
lent for  militia  duty,  and  also  penal  fines,  are  to  be  applied  to  the  support  of  county 
seminaries.  In  laying  off  a  new  county,  the  general  assembly  is  to  reserve,  at  least, 
10  per  cent  of  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  town  lots,  in  the  seat  of  justice  of  such  county, 
for  the  use  of  a  public  library  therein. 

Article  10th  prohibits  the  incorporation  of  any  other  banks  than  the  state  bank 
and  its  branches. 


DAVID  BAILLIE  WARDEN.  229 

persons,  (negroes,  mulattoes,  and  Indians  excepted,)  resident 
in  the  state,  between  the  age  of  eighteen  and  forty-five  years 
except  such  as  are  exempted  by  the  laws  of  the  state,  or  of  the 
United  States;  those  who  are  conscientiously  averse  to  bearing 
arms,  paying  an  equivalent.  The  captains  and  subalterns  are 
elected  by  the  companies;  and  the  non-commissioned  officers  are 
appointed  by  the  captains.  Majors  are  elected  by  the  battalions, 
and  colonels  by  the  regiments.  Brigadier-generals  are  elected  by 
the  commissioned  officers  within  the  bounds  of  their  respective 
brigades;  and  major-generals  by  the  commissioned  officers  within 
the  bounds  of  their  respective  divisions.  The  adjutants-general 
and  quarter-masters-general  are  appointed  by  the  governor;  and 
also  his  aids-de-camp.  Majors-general  appoint  their  aids-de-camp, 
and  all  other  division  staff  officers;  brigadier-generals,  their 
brigades-major;  and  colonels,  their  regimental  staff  officers.  All 
militia  officers  are  commissioned  by  the  governor,  and  hold  their 
commission  during  good  behaviour,  or  till  the  age  of  sixty. 

The  seat  of  government  is  established  at  Corydon,  in  Harrison 
county,  until  the  year  1825,  and  until  removed  by  law.  No  per- 
son can  hold  more  than  one  lucrative  office  at  the  same  time,  unless 
expressly  permitted  by  the  constitution.  The  following  are  the 
salaries  fixed  for  the  officers  of  government  till  the  year  1819: 
The  governor,  1,000  dollars;  the  secretary  of  state,  400;  auditor 
of  public  accounts,  400;  treasurer,  400;  judges  of  the  supreme 
court,  800  each;  presidents  of  the  circuit  courts,  800.  Members 
of  the  general  assembly  are  allowed  two  dollars  per  day,  during 
their  attendance,  and  the  same  sum  for  every  twenty-five  miles 
they  shall  severally  travel,  in  the  usual  route,  to  and  from  the 
assembly.  After  1819,  their  pay  is  to  be  fixed  by  a  new  law. 

Mounds. — A  number  of  Mounds  are  seen  from  White  river  to 
the  sources  of  the  Wabash.  Around  Harrison  village,  in  Frank- 
lin county,  they  are  numerous,  of  very  unequal  size,  and  evidently 
formed  at  different  and  remote  periods.  On  the  largest,  which 
are  from  ten  to  thirty  feet  high,  trees  are  seen  to  grow  of  as  great  a 
size,  and  apparently  as  old,  as  any  of  the  same  species  in  the 
woods.  The  smaller  mounds  have  no  greater  elevation  than  from 
two  to  five  feet  above  the  surface,  and  the  trees  which  grow  upon 
them  are  yet  of  small  dimensions,  indicating  a  growth  of  not 
more  than  100  years.  The  bones  which  they  inclose  are  still  cap- 
able of  supporting  their  own  weight  and  of  being  removed,  while 
those  of  the  large  mounds  are  so  decomposed,  that  they  are  reduced 
to  dust  by  the  slightest  touch.  In  a  field,  belonging  to  Mr.  Allan, 


230  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

there  is  one  sixty  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base,  and  twenty  in  height, 
full  of  the  remains  of  human  bones.  Mr.  Brown  relates,*  that,  on 
the  borders  of  White  Water,  he  examined  the  interior  structure  of 
fifteen  or  twenty  of  these  mounds,  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  in  height, 
and  did  not  find  more  than  four  or  five  skeletons.  In  one  none  was 
found.  Others  were  so  full,  that  they  probably  contained  the 
remains  of  a  hundred  skeletons. 

Agriculture. — The  soil  is  well  adapted  to  maize,  wheat,  oats, 
rye,  hemp,  and  tobacco.  On  the  best  lands  the  average  produce 
of  Indian  corn  is  said  to  be  from  fifty  to  sixty  bushels  per  acre; 
that  of  wheat  about  fifty,  the  bushel  weighing  fifty-eight  pounds. 
In  many  places  the  land  is  too  ric)i  for  this  grain;  which,  though 
it  does  not  become  smutty,  is  not  so  good  as  in  the  state  of  New 
York.  It  is  never  killed,  however,  by  the  cold  in  winter. 

The  culture  of  the  vine  has  been  successfully  introduced  by  a 
colony  of  Swiss  emigrants,  established  at  New  Switzerland.  In 
the  year  1811,  2,700  gallons  of  wine  were  produced  from  a  sur- 
face of  twenty  acres,  and  is  found  to  be  of  a  good  quality.  The 
grapes  which  have  succeeded  best  are  those  from  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  and  the  island  of  Madeira.  Those  of  the  country  give  wine 
of  a  tolerable  good  quality.  Hutchins  remarked,  "that  grapes, 
with  a  thin  black  skin,  grow  in  the  greatest  abundance,  of  which 
the  inhabitants  in  the  interior  make  a  sufficient  quantity  of  well- 
tasted  red  wine  for  their  own  consumption."  "That  large  and 
good  hops  are  found  in  many  places,  and  the  lands  are  particularly 
adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  rice.  All  European  fruits,  apples, 
peaches,  pears,  cherries,  currants,  gooseberries,  melons,  &c., 
thrive  well.  Cotton  and  the  sweet  potatoe  are  cultivated  in  the 
southern  parts.  The  country  is  admirably  fitted  for  rearing  cattle 
and  swine,  having  great  abundance  of  acorns  and  roots  on  which 
they  feed.  The  animals  which  are  most  injurious  to  agriculture 
in  this  prolific  country  are  squirrels,  moles,  and  mice.  The  mole  is 
particularly  so  in  meadows  and  corn  fields,  where  the  grain  begins 
to  shoot." 

Finances. — According  to  the  treasurer's  report,  the  receipts 
into  the  treasury  for  the  year  1817  amounted  to  28,234  dollars  46 
cents;  the  disbursements  to  20,605  dollars  33  cents;  balance  7,629 
dollars  13  cents. 

Price  of  Land.— In  1792  the  French  inhabitants  of  Vincennes 
gave  their  lands  in  exchange  for  goods,  at  the  rate  of  thirty  cents 
an  acre.  They  were  sold  in  1796  at  two  dollars.  The  tract  called 

*Western  Gazetteer,  p.  57. 


DAVID  BAILLIE  WARDEN.  231 

"Harrison's  Purchase,"  situated  between  the  White  river,  Wabash, 
and  Rocky  river,  and  containing  upwards  of  3,000,000  of  acres, 
was  sold  from  four  to  thirty  dollars  an  acre,  after  the  reservation 
of  the  most  fertile  parts,  given  as  a  donation  to  the  officers  who 
had  served  on  the  Niagara  frontier.  The  lands  of  the  settlement 
of  New  Switzerland  were  purchased  at  two  dollars,  in  1805; 
the  lands  of  Harrison  village,  on  the  north  side  of  White  Water, 
are  valued  at  between  forty  and  sixty  dollars  an  acre.  In  the  town 
of  Vincennes  building  lots  sell  at  from  50  to  1,000  dollars  a  lot. 
The  land  offices  in  this  state  are,  one  at  Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash, 
the  other  at  Jeffersonville,  on  the  Ohio. 

In  general,  improved  lands,  or  farms  of  fifteen  or  twenty  acres, 
with  a  log-house,  can  be  purchased  from  eight  to  ten  dollars  an 
acre.* 

The  manufactures,  in  1810,  amounted  to  196,532  dollars,  besides 
doubtful  articles,  valued  at  61,108  dollars. 

Woolen,  cotton,  hempen  and  flaxen  cloths $159,052.00 

Cotton  and  wool  spun  in  mills 150 . 00 

1,380  spinning  wheels 

1,256  looms 

Nails,  pounds  20,000 4,000.00 

Leather  tanned 9,300.00 

28  distilleries 16,230.00 

Wine  from  grapes,  barrels  96 6,000.00 

Gunpowder 1,800.00 

33  flour  mills 

14  saw  mills 

Maple  sugar,  pounds  50,000 

The  Harmonists,  established  at  Harmoney,  cultivate  the  vine, 
exercise  various  mechanical  arts,  and  have  an  extensive  wool 
manufactory.  Their  Merino  cloth  is  excellent. 

Commerce. — The  external  trade  of  this  colony  is  carried  on  with 
New  Orleans,  and  is  yet  very  inconsiderable.  Goods  are  brought 
from  Canada,  down  the  Wabash;  from  the  eastermost  states, 
down  the  Ohio;  and  from  New  Orleans,  by  the  Mississippi  and 

*Prices  at  Brookville,  in  December  1817. — Beef  4  to  5  cents  per  pound;  corn,  25 
cents  per  bushel;  wheat,  62  cents  ditto;  fowls,  1  dollar  per  dozen;  eggs,  6i  cents  ditto; 
pork,  3  to  4  cents  per  pound;  butter  19  cents  ditto. 

Prices  at  Princetown,  in  August,  1817. — Wheat,  3s.  4i  d.  sterling  per  Winchester 
bushel;  Is.  4d. ;  Indian  corn,  lid. ;  hay,  35s.  per  ton;  flour,  36s.  per  barrel,  196  Ib.  net; 
fowls,  4Jd.  each;  eggs,  id.;  butter,  6d.  per  pound;  meat,  2d. ;  a  buck,  4s.  6d.  without 
the  skin;  salt,  3s.  4d  per  bushel;  tobacco,  3d.  per  pound;  a  good  cow,  12  to  20  dollars; 
a  two  year  old  heifer,  6  dollars;  ewes,  3  dollars  a-head;  a  sow,  3  dollars,  a  stout  horse 
for  drawing,  60  dollars  or  upwards.  Boarding  in  a  tavern,  2  dollars  per  week.  Travell- 
ing expences  are  very  regular,  amounting  to  a  dollar  per  day  for  a  man  and  horse. 
Birkbeck's  Notes,  p.  143. 


232  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

up  the  Wabash.  One  branch  of  this  last  river  forms  a  communi- 
cation with  the  river  St.  Joseph,  and  another  with  the  eastern- 
most branch  of  the  Miami  of  the  Lakes,  through  which  there  is  a 
passage  to  Lake  Erie,  with  the  exception  of  a  short  portage. 

Forts. — Fort  Harrison,  situated  on  the  Wabash  river,  has  a 
garrison  of  150  riflemen,  of  the  regular  army.  Fort  Dearborn 
stands  upon  the  left  bank  of  Chicago  river,  which  empties  itself 
into  Lake  Michigan,  on  the  south-western  extremity.  Its  garrison 
was  destroyed,  in  September  1815,  [August  15,  1812]  by  the  Pot- 
to watamie  Indians,  but  has  been  since  re-established.  Fort 
Wayne,  at  the  confluence  of  the  St.  Joseph's  and  St.  Mary's  river, 
near  the  north-eastern  angle  of  the  State. 

Roads. — From  Vincennes  two  roads  lead  to  the  Ohio,  a  third  to 
Fort  Harrison,  a  fourth  to  Princetown,  and  a  fifth  to  Kaskaskia. 

Newspapers. — At  Brookville,  "The  Plain  Dealer";  at  Vevay, 
"The  Indiana  Register";  at  Lexington,  "The  Western  Eagle"; 
at  Corydon,  "The  Indiana  Gazette";  at  Vincennes,  "The  West- 
ern Sun". 

Manners  and  Character. — Indiana  is  but  recently  settled;  but 
many  of  the  settlers  are  of  a  respectable  class,  and  their  manners 
are  more  refined  than  could  be  expected  in  a  place  where  society  is 
but  in  its  infancy.  They  are  sober  and  industrious;  drunken- 
ness is  rare,  and  quarrelling  rare  in  proportion.  They  set  a  high 
value  on  the  right  of  personal  resistance  to  aggression.  They  pos- 
sess great  energy  of  character;  and,  though  they  respect  the  laws 
generally,  do  not  hesitate  sometimes  to  redress  what  they  consider 
a  public  injury,  by  a  more  summary  mode  of  proceeding.  They 
are,  however,  friendly  and  obliging.  Insanity  is  scarcely  known, 
either  in  this  or  the  other  western  states.  The  inhabitants  of 
Vincennes,  who  are  chiefly  of  French  extraction,  are  neat  and 
cleanly,  and  still  retain  strong  traces  of  French  good  breeding. 

Religion. — The  number  of  Baptists,  the  denomination  which 
prevails  in  Indiana,  was  stated  in  the  general  report  of  May  1817 
to  be  2,474;  the  number  of  churches,  67.  We  have  not  been  able 
to  ascertain  the  number  belonging  to  other  sects. 

History. — When  the  French  descended  the  Wabash,  and  estab- 
lished posts  on  its  borders,  it  was  inhabited  by  different  Indian 
nations,  the  Kickapoos,  Pyankashaws,  Musquitons,  Ouitanons, 
and  others,  whose  warriors  amounted  to  upwards  of  1,200,  and, 
according  to  French  tradition,  they  were  once  far  more  numer- 
ous. It  is  said,  that  the  country  lying  between  the  Wabash  and 


DAVID  BAILLIE  WARDEN.  233 

Mississippi  being  claimed  by  the  Indians  of  both  these  rivers,  it 
was  mutually  agreed,  that  it  should  become  the  prize  of  the  vic- 
tors, in  an  engagement  between  1,000  warriors  of  each,  who  fought 
from  the  rising  to  the  setting  sun,  when  the  former  were  declared 
conquerors,  having  seven  men  surviving,  while  the  other  had  but 
five.  The  ground  on  which  Fort  Harrison  stands  was  the  theatre 
of  this  bloody  scene;  the  bodies  of  the  slain  were  inclosed  in  the 
neighbouring  mounds.  The  French  colonists,  long  after  their  first 
establishments  in  this  country,  lived  on  terms  of  friendship  with 
the  Indian  proprietors  of  the  soil;  formed  marriages  with  their 
women,  joined  in  their  hunting  parties,  and  lived  contented  with 
the  produce  of  the  chace,  of  their  cattle,  and  gardens.  But,  in  the 
year  1782,  a  detachment  of  soldiers  from  Kentucky  penetrated  to 
their  villages,  plundered  them,  and  carried  off  many  of  their 
cattle.  The  year  following,  peace  ensued,  and  they  came  under 
the  protection  of  the  United  States. 

During  the  period  of  war  with  the  Indians,  which  commenced 
in  1788,  they  suffered  many  vexations,  and  were  obliged  to  per- 
form military  services  of  a  severe  nature. 

By  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  in  1795,  the  United  States  obtained 
six  miles  square  at  the  mouth  of  Chicago  river;  the  same  quantity 
at  the  junction  of  the  St.  Mary's  and  St.  Joseph's;  one  half  of  this 
extent  at  the  head  of  the  Little  river  branch  of  the  Wabash,  eight 
miles  southwest  of  Fort  Wayne ;  and  six  miles  square  at  the  Weeaw 
town  (Quit anon)  on  the  river  Wabash;  other  cessions  were  at  the 
same  time  made  without  the  limits  of  this  state.  For  all  which, 
the  Pottawatamies  were  to  receive,  for  their  share  of  recompense, 
goods  to  the  amount  of  1,000  dollars;  and  the  Kickapoos,  Pian- 
kashaws,  Weaws,  and  Elk  river  tribes,  500  each.  In  1804,  the 
Delawares  and  Piankashaws  sold  a  large  tract  bordering  on  the 
Ohio;  and,  in  1805,  another  extensive  tract  was  ceded  by  the 
Miami,  Eel  river,  and  Weeaw  Indians,  which,  including  a  former 
cession  around  Vincennes  in  1794,  comprehended  a  tract  of  130 
miles  in  length,  and  fifty  in  breadth,  extending  from  the  Ohio  river 
to  the  western  limits.  Another  tract  was  ceded  in  1809,  by  the 
Delawares,  Pottowatamies,  Miami,  and  Eel  river  tribes,  including 
the  south-western  parts  to  above  the  fortieth  degree  of  latitude. 
Notwithstanding  these  cessions,  the  contracting  Indian  parties 
were  always  hostile.  In  1791,  they  were  attacked  by  General 
Wilkinson,  who  destroyed  the  principal  town  of  the  Shawenese, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Tippacanoe,  containing  120  houses.  They 


234  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

were  attacked  on  the  7th  of  November  1811,  about  100  miles 
above  Vincennes,  by  a  detachment  of  American  troops,  under  Gen- 
eral Harrison,  who  destroyed  the  town  of  their  celebrated  Prophet. 
In  September  1813,  four  of  their  towns,  at  the  forks  of  the  Wabash, 
were  burnt  by  the  same  officer. 


From  Narrative  of  Richard  Lee  Mason  in  the  Pioneer  west 
[1819],  pp.  33-39.  Published  by  Chas.  Fred 
Heartman,  (by  permission  of  the  publisher). 

MASON,  RICHARD  LEE. 

Dr.  Richard  Lee  Mason,  a  Marylander,  who  served  with  the  "White 
Horseman"  cavalry  in  the  war  of  1812,  was  awarded  a  large  tract  of  bounty 
land  near  Alton,  Illinois.  In  order  to  locate  this,  he  made  a  journey  from 
Pennsylvania  to  Illinois  in  1819.  He  traveled  through  Pennsylvania,  Ohio, 
Kentucky  and  Indiana.  He  was  so  well  pleased  with  the  "promised  land" 
of  the  west  that  he  sent  for  his  family,  moved  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  took  up 
a  medical  practice.  Dr.  Mason  was  a  remarkably  intelligent  observer,  as 
is  evidenced  by  his  journals. 

Tuesday,  Nov.  3. — Remained  in  Louisville  Monday  and  part 
of  today.  Left  Aleen's  the  2d.  Passed  through  Shipping  Port, 
on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio,  two  and  one-half  miles  below  Louisville. 
A  very  promising  little  village.  Twelve  or  thirteen  steamboats 
lying  at  this  place  aground,  owing  to  the  unusual  drought.  Curi- 
osity induced  me  to  go  on  board  the  largest  steamboat  in  the 
world,  lying  at  this  place.  She  is  called  the  United  States,  and  is 
owned  by  a  company  of  gentlemen.  I  have  taken  down  her 
dimensions:  Length  of  keel,  165  feet  8  inches;  depth  of  hold,  11 
feet  3  inches;  breadth  of.  beam  and  girder,  56  feet;  length  on  deck, 
176  feet  8  inches;  breadth  of  beam  without  girder,  37  feet.  This 
mammoth  boat  has  eight  boilers  and  elegant  accommodations  for 
a  large  number  of  passengers.  Many  of  the  steamships  lying  at 
this  place  are  built  on  improved  plans  and  are  very  handsome.  We 
crossed  the  Ohio  at  a  point  where  it  is  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
wide.  Passed  through  New  Albany,  Ind.,  a  little  village  inhabited 
by  tavern-keepers  and  mechanics.  Traveled  to  Miller's,  a  dis- 
tance of  six  miles  over  the  knobs.  Country  very  much  broken. 
Some  steep  hills  and  sugar-loaf  knobs.  The  woods  being  on 
fire,  a  scene  truly  sublime  presented  itself  at  night.  The  lands 
indifferent.  Weather  warm  and  dry.  Passed  many  travelers 
bound  to  the  west,  and  met  three  or  four  wagons  with  families 
returning  from  the  promised  land.  Slept  in  a  house  without  glass 
in  the  windows  and  no  fastenings  to  the  doors.  The  inhabitants 
imprudent  and  lazy  beyond  example.  Supped  on  cabbage,  turnips, 
pickles,  beets,  beefsteak  made  of  pickled  beef,  rye  coffee  and  sage 
tea.  The  people  of  Indiana  differ  widely  from  Kentuckians  in 

(235) 


236  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

habits,  manners  and  even  dialect.  Whilst  hospitality,  politeness 
and  good  sense  characterize  Kentuckians,  ignorance,  impudence 
and  laziness  has  stamped  the  Indianians. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  3,  1819.— Left  Miller's  tavern  at  7  o'clock 
and  arrived  at  Squire  Chambers'  at  6  o'clock,  after  traveling  a 
distance  of  thirty-six  miles.  Passed  a  trifling  village,  Fredericks- 
burg;  also  Greenville.  A  poor,  barren,  deserted  country.  For 
ten  miles,  stony,  poor,  mountainous  and  naked.  Land  a  little 
better.  Miserable  huts,  poor  accommodations,  cabin,  taverns,  and 
high  charges.  Crossed  Blue  river.  Every  man  his  own  hostler 
and  steward.  Plenty  of  game — deer,  turkeys;  etc.  Inhabitants 
generally  possess  a  smaller  share  of  politeness  than  any  met  with 
before. 

Thursday,  Nov.  4. — Left  Squire  Chambers'  (who  is  only  mem- 
ber of  the  assembly,  by  the  by)  at  7  o'clock  a.  m.  Arrived  at 
Lewis'  at  6  o'clock,  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles.  Passed  a 
little  village  called  Peola.  The  fact  that  this  part  of  Indiana 
is  a  late  purchase  by  the  United  States,  accounts  for  its  towns  being 
so  inconsiderable  and  being  made  up  of  log  houses.  The  lands 
here  are  very  fertile,  the  country  mountainous  and  broken. 
Traveled  twenty-five  miles  through  woods  and  passed  but  four 
houses.  With  great  difficulty  obtained  water  for  our  horses.  In 
the  midst  of  one  of  those  long  and  thick  pieces  of  woods,  we  passed 
one  of  the  most  miserable  huts  ever  seen — a  house  built  out  of 
slabs  without  a  nail;  the  pieces  merely  laid  against  a  log  pen  such 
as  pigs  are  commonly  kept  in,  a  dirt  floor,  no  chimney.  Indeed, 
the  covering  would  be  a  bad  one  in  the  heat  of  summer,  and, 
unfortunately,  the  weather  at  this  time  is  very  severe  for  the  sea- 
son of  the  year.  This  small  cabin  contained  a  young  and  inter- 
esting female  and  her  two  shivering  and  almost  starving  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  were  bareheaded  and  with  their  feet  bare.  There 
was  a  small  bed,  one  blanket  and  a  few  potatoes.  One  cow  and 
one  pig  (who  appeared  to  share  in  their  misfortunes)  completed 
the  family,  except  for  the  husband,  who  was  absent  in  search  of 
bread.  Fortunately  for  the  dear  little  children,  we  had  in  our 
carriage  some  bread,  cheese,  toddy,  etc.,  which  we  divided  with 
them  with  much  heartfelt  satisfaction.  In  this  situation  the 
woman  was  polite,  smiled  and  appeared  happy.  She  gave  us  water 
to  drink,  which  had  been  refused  to  us  by  persons  on  the  road 
several  times  during  the  day.  What  a  lesson  for  many  of  the 
unhappy  ladies  that  inhabit  large  cities,  whose  husbands  are  slaves 
to  procure  all  the  luxuries  of  life,  a  fine  house,  carpeted  floors, 


RICHARD  LEE  MASON.  237 

elegant  furniture,  fine  carriages  and  horses,  gay  and  cheerful  com- 
pany, and  a  smooth  brick  pavement  or  marble  to  walk  upon! 
Yet  they  are  too  often  dissatisfied,  and  are  sighing  for  that  which 
cannot  be  obtained.  Could  they  but  contrast  their  situation  with 
this  ragged,  suffering  and  delicate  female,  they  would  have  just 
cause  to  be  happy,  and  would  be  under  the  strong  conviction  that 
Providence  does  not  interfere  with  the  common  affairs  of  this  life. 
Traveled  over  excellent  lands  not  taken  up  which  could  be 
cleared  with  very  little  labor. 

Friday,  Nov.  5. — Left  Mr.  Sears'  at  7  o'clock,  after  having 
slept  in  a  cabin  with  three  wagons.  My  friend  and  self  treated 
civilly  by  the  family.  The  house  not  close  enough  to  keep  the 
cats  and  dogs  out.  Traveled  over  an  extremely  mountainous  coun- 
try to  White  river  (east  fork),  where  a  town  was  laid  out  last  May. 
Promising  little  place.  Several  houses  building  together,  with  the 
industrious  appearance  of  saw  and  grist  mills,  give  it  the  appear- 
ance of  a  place  of  business.  Little  town  is  called  Hindoostan. 
In  this  part  of  the  country  the  woods  are  large,  the  hills  bold  and 
lofty,  and  there  is  an  abundance  of  bears,  wolves,  wildcats, 
panthers,  etc.  Thousands  of  acres  of  land  of  the  first  quality  are 
unsettled  and  to  be  purchased  at  from  $2.50  to  $5  an  acre.  In 
crossing  White  river  we  had  to  descend  a  very  steep  precipice 
above  the  falls,  in  effecting  which  my  friend,  Dr.  Hill,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  driving  our  little  carriage,  was  thrown  headfore- 
most into  the  river.  Part  of  our  baggage  followed  him,  and  the 
carriage  was  very  near  upsetting.  However,  we  forded  this  ele- 
gant stream,  which  is  200  yards  wide,  without  much  difficulty. 
After  halting  a  few  minutes  on  the  bank  to  examine  our  bruises 
and  adjust  our  baggage,  we  proceeded  on  our  journey.  Traveled  a 
distance  of  eighteen  miles  to  the  west  branch  of  White  river,  which 
we  forded  without  risk,  the  bottom  being  hard  and  rocky.  Trav- 
eled over  a  fertile  country  four  miles  to  Steenz,  making  a  distance 
of  thirty-four  miles.  At  this  dirty  hovel,  with  one  room  and  a 
loft,  formed  by  placing  boards  about  three  inches  apart,  ten 
travelers  slept.  There  were  thirteen  in  family,  besides  two  calves, 
making  in  all,  with  my  friend  and  self,  twenty-three  whites,  one 
negro  and  two  calves. 

Saturday,  Nov.  6. — Supped  on  pumpkins,  cabbages,  rye  coffee 
without  sugar,  bones  of  venison,  salted  pickles,  etc. — all  in  the 
midst  of  crying  children,  dirt,  filth  and  misery.  The  last  enter- 
tainment made  the  first  serious  unfavorable  impression  on  my 
mind  relative  to  the  west.  Traveled  six  miles  to  breakfast  and  to 


238  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

entertain  an  idea  of  starving.  No  water,  no  food  fit  to  eat,  dusty 
roads  and  constantly  enveloped  in  a  cloud  of  smoke,  owing  to  the 
woods  and  prairies  being  on  fire  for  100  miles.  Breakfasted  on 
sound  provisions  for  a  rarity  and  felt  a  little  refreshed.  This  part 
of  Indiana  is  rich  and  valuable.  Corn  and  oats  50  cents  a  bushel. 
My  good  little  horse  being  sick,  my  usual  flow  of  spirits  commenced 
a  retreat.  However,  they  were  soon  rallied  again  after  a  few  long 
sighs  for  those  that  are  dear  and  far  from  me.  Arrived  at  Vin- 
cennes,  on  the  Wabash,  a  bold  and  handsome  river,  the  size  of  the 
Schuylkill.  Vincennes,  an  ancient  town,  is  small,  ugly  and  meanly 
built,  although  beautifully  situated.  Its  inhabitants  are  French, 
Americans,  Indians — and,  in  short,  persons  from  the  four  corners 
of  the  earth.  Indian  mounds  or  small  round  hills  are  common 
in  this  country.  They  are  believed  to  be  the  work  of  art,  and  from 
bones  and  so  forth  which  have  been  found  in  them  are  supposed 
to  have  been  receptacles  for  the  dead,  when  none  but  the  foot- 
steps of  the  savage  was  to  be  traced  in  these  forests.  We  are  now 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  Shakers  and  Harmonites,  whom  we  intend 
to  visit  and  give  a  correct  account  of.  Very  much  revived  this 
day,  having  lived  well.  Necessity  is  often  the  mother  of  inven- 
tion. Yolk  of  egg,  flour  and  water  mixed  is  a  good  substitute  for 
milk,  and  is  often  used  in  coffee  in  this  country.  Rye  is  frequently 
substituted  for  coffee  and  sage  tea  in  place  of  the  imperial. 

Sunday,  Nov.  7. — Left  Vincennes  at  7  o'clock.     Crossed  the 
meandering  stream,  Wabash,  into  Illinois. 


From  Indiana  Gazette,  Corydon,  March  6,  1819,  p.  2. 
To  THE  EDITORS  OF  THE  INDIANA  REPUBLICAN. 

Vernon,  Feb.  16,  1819. 
Gentlemen. 

Capt.  Campbell  and  myself  have  just  returned  from  an  excur- 
sion made  into  the  Delaware  Lands,  and  should  you  consider  the 
following  sketch  worth  an  insertion  in  your  paper,  for  the  amuse- 
ment of  your  readers,  the  information  of  emigrants,  and  persons 
wishing  to  explore  these  lands,  it  will  gratify  some  of  your  readers. 

We  travelled  the  new  cut  road  from  this  place  to  Geneva, 
(on  Sandy)  a  new  town  laid  out  on  the  old  Indian  boundary  line, 
about  8  miles  from  this  place  in  a  N.  W.  direction,  we  then  took  a 
new  cut  road  (opened  to  Flat  Rock,  sufficient  for  waggons)  which 
bears  nearly  N.  45  W.  The  first  stream  we  crossed  after  leaving 
Persors  mill,  on  Sandy,  is  called  little  Sandy;  the  second,  Leather- 
wood;  the  third  Fallen  Timber  Creek;  all  appropriate  names. 
We  next  passed  a  remarkable  Beaver  dam,  in  which  the  ingenuity 
of  these  animals  is  wonderfully  exhibited.  The  4th  stream  is  flat 
creek,  the  5th  Deer  Creek,  6th  Crooked  creek,  all  of  which  streams 
will  answer  for  light  machinery,  and  run  to  the  S.  W.  the  bottom  is 
generally  gravelly  and  water  very  clear. — We  next  came  to  a 
stream  known  by  the  name  of  Clifty,  sufficient  for  any  kind  of 
water  works,  and  about  10  miles  distant  in  the  new  purchase.  I 
think,  without  exaggeration,  that  every  quarter  section 
that  may  be  laid  out  in  this  ten  miles,  will  be  fit  for  culti- 
vation and  will  be  settled ;  the  lands  are  of  a  black,  sandy  quality, 
timbered  with  Black  Ash  and  Beach,  principally.  The  general 
face  of  that  country  is  rather  inclined  to  a  plain,  with  the  hol- 
lows rather  wet.  The  lands  on  Clifty  are  very  rich  and  well  tim- 
bered on  both  sides  of  the  stream,  with  Blue  Ash,  Walnut,  Sugar 
Tree,  Honey  Locust,  Beach,  &c.  &c. 

After  crossing  this  stream  we  came  to  a  most  beautiful  wal- 
nut ridge  about  1  and  a  half  miles  N.  of  Clifty.  We  next  crossed 
Middle  Creek;  then  Grassy  Creek,  then  Tough  Creek,  Still  water 
and  Pleasant  Run,  all  of  which  are  small  mill  streams,  running  to 
the  S.  W.  some  of  which  have  very  muddy  bottoms,  and  lie 
between  Clifty  and  Flat  Rock,  at  the  distance  of  7  miles;  in  this  7 
miles  the  lands  are  principally  very  rich  and  level,  the  vallies  rather 

(239) 


240  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

wet,  timbered  principally  with  Oak,  Black  Ash,  Walnut,  Sugar 
Tree,  Poplar,  Hickory  &c.  until  we  came  to  the  lands  immediately 
on  Flat  Rock;  these  lands  exhibit  a  scenery  I  never  expected  to  see 
in  Indiana;  they  resembled  the  rich  lands  on  the  two  Elk  horns  in 
Kentucky,  for  richness  and  timber,  and  to  appearances  abound  on 
both  sides  of  the  stream,  which  has  a  gravel  bottom  and  is  about  80 
yards  wide.  On  the  north  side  of  the  creek  we  found  only  one 
stream  (Sugar  Creek)  until  we  arrived  at  Driftwood  (Blue  River) 
about  8  miles  in  a  S.  W.  direction  from  where  we  crossed  Flat 
Rock,  the  lands  between  these  two  streams  are  level  and  very  dry, 
timbered  with  White  Oak,  Black  Oak,  Walnut,  Honey  Locust, 
&c.,  underbrush,  spicewood,  dogwood  and  hazel.  We  found  beau- 
tiful, rich  and  level  lands  on  both  sides  of  Driftwood,  and  well 
timbered;  The  river  (by  counting  our  horses  steps  was  180  yards) 
wide  where  we  crossed  it.  I  think  there  are  very  few  springs  in 
this  country,  but  believe  water  may  be  had  with  very  little  labour. 
To  sum  up  my  views  on  the  subject,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  if 
Jefferson  county  would  make  a  good  highway  in  the  direction  to 
this  place,  (individuals  of  this  county  have  taken  measures  to 
make  a  good  highway  for  our  country  without  delay,  suited  to  the 
direction,  and  Madison)  that  Madison  would  be  the  key  on  the 
Ohio  river  to  one  of  the  best  tracts  of  country  I  have  ever  seen  in 
this  state,  and  a  delay  will  speedily  bring  forward  some  other 
point,  as  the  country  is  now  settled.  We  met  two  families  and 
teams  on  the  road  to  this  Eden. 

Yours,  With  esteem, 

JOHN  VAWTER. 


From  Indiana  Gazette,  Corydon,  March  2,  1820,  pp.  1-2. 

LETTER  FROM  CAPT.  JAMES  RILEY,  TO  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE 
PHILADELPHIA  UNION. 

Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  November  24,  1819. 

Having  concluded  my  surveys  for  this  season,  and  wish- 
ing to  view  the  country  between  St.  Mary's  and  Miami  Rivers,  to 
examine  for  myself  the  practicability  of  so  uniting  the  Wabash 
with  the  Miami  as  to  render  intercourse  by  water  safe  and  easy 
between  the  Ohio  and  Lake  Erie,  through  the  channel,  &c.  &c.; 
I  set  out  yesterday,  from  Shane's  Crossing,  on  the  St.  Mary's, 
and  travelling  thro'  a  district  of  good  land,  on  or  near  the  right 
bank  of  that  river,  forty  miles,  reached  this  place  early  in  the 
evening;  and  early  this  morning  I  set  off  to  look  at  the  junction  of 
the  St.  Joseph's  and  St.  Mary's  which  forms  the  Miami  river. 

The  St.  Joseph's  river  rising  in  Michigan  territory,  runs  south- 
westerly about  200  miles,  receiving  in  its  course  several  tributary 
streams;  and  the  St.  Mary's  rising  in  Shelby  county,  Ohio,  runs 
northwesterly  more  than  200  miles,  including  its  meanderings — 
when  forming  a  junction  nearly  from  opposite  points,  the  river 
turns  suddenly  south  and  assumes  the  name  of  Miami  of  the 
Lakes,  or  as  pronounced  by  the  French  Maume;  then  turning 
gradually  round  again,  these  congregated  waters  flow  off  in  a 
northeast  direction  about  200  miles,  following  the  course  of  the 
river  to  the  southwest  end  of  Lake  Erie. 

Fort  Wayne  stands  on  a  bluff  just  below  the  junction  and  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Miami;  its  situation  is  admirable,  chosen  by 
a  general  in  whom  were  united  the  greatest  personal  courage  and 
intrepidity;  and  the  most  consumate  prudence  and  skill  in  con- 
ducting and  supporting  an  army.  Amidst  forests  and  morasses, 
separated  from  the  inhabited  parts  of  the  country  by  a  dreary 
and  extensive  wilderness;  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  hosts  of  sav- 
age enemies,  flushed  by  a  recent  and  great  victory  over  the  unfor- 
tunate Gen.  St.  Clair. 

The  gigantic  mind  of  General  Wayne,  created  resources,  as  he 
went  along,  baffling  the  skill  and  cunning  of  his  enemy,  with 
astonishing  industry  and  activity.  He  cut  roads  and  marched 
his  troops  to  the  important  points  which  he  seized.  With  an  unerr- 
ing military  eye,  and  profound  judgment,  he  selected  and  fortified 

T — 16  (241) 


242  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

such  posts,  and  such  only  as  would  inevitably  secure  his  conquests, 
and  afford  the  most  sure  protection  to  his  army  and  our  exten- 
sive frontier  settlements.  At  every  step  in  this  country,  every 
unprejudiced  mind,  will  more  and  more  admire  the  movements 
and  achievements  of  the  army  conducted  by  this  veteran,  and 
truly  wise  and  great  General. 

By  occupying  Fort  Wayne,  the  communication  between  Lake 
Erie  and  the  Ohio  through  the  channel  of  the  Maume  and  the 
Wabash,  (which  is  the  shortest  and  most  direct  water  route  from 
Buffalo  to  the  Mississippi  river)  was  cut  off  or  completely  com- 
manded. 

The  Wabash  River,  which  rises  in  Ohio,  runs  north  past  Fort 
Recovery,  enters  Indiana,  about  10  miles  from  that  post,  and  con- 
tinuing its  course  northwestwardly,  approaches  Fort  Wayne 
within  18  miles,  when  it  turns  more  to  the  southwest,  running 
diagonally  across  the  state  of  Indiana,  and  receiving  in  its  course 
numerous  important  tributary  streams,  until  it  reaches  the  line 
that  separates  Indiana  from  Illinois,  in  lat.  40;  thence  meander- 
ing into  Illinois  and  back  into  Indiana  in  a  southerly  direction,  dis- 
charges its  waters  into  the  Ohio  river. 

The  Little  Wabash  rises  in  an  elevated  swamp  prairie,  6  miles 
south  of  Fort  Wayne,  and  joins  the  Wabash  18  miles  from  thence 
— thus  in  high  stages  of  the  water  a  portage  of  only  six  miles,  car- 
ries merchandize  from  the  head  of  the  Maume,  into  the  navigable 
waters  of  the  Wabash,  and  vice  versa;  from  whence  floating  with 
the  current,  it  may  either  supply  the  interior  wants  of  the  coun- 
try, or  proceed  to  New  Orleans  or  Lake  Erie. ' 

Through  a  part  of  the  above  mentioned  swamp,  which  is  very 
extensive,  a  canal  might  very  easily  be  cut,  six  miles  long,  unit- 
ing the  Wabash  to  the  St.  Mary's  a  little  above  its  junction;  and 
from  what  I  saw  and  learned  from  others,  it  is  my  opinion  that  the 
swamp  might  afford  water  sufficient  for  purposes  of  canal  naviga- 
tion. 

By  the  treatise  of  1817  and  '18  (mentioned  in  a  former  letter) 
lands  in  the  state  of  Indiana,  to  the  amount  of  from  four  to  six 
millions  of  acres  (lying  principally  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Wabash, 
and  extending  from  the  new  line  N.  W.  of  Wayne,  and  South 
and  West  to  former  purchases)  were  ceded  to  the  U.  States. 

These  lands  are  charmingly  situated  in  point  of  climate;  their 
soil  is  mostly  of  the  very  first  quality — the  country  is  well  watered 
and  well  timbered,  and  lying  on  and  near  the  Wabash,  enjoys 
immense  advantages.  Emigrants  from  the  Northern  and  Eastern 


CORYDON,  INDIANA,  GAZETTE.  243 

states,  to  this  section  of  the  country,  as  well  as  the  new  purchase  in 
Ohio;  will  find  it  to  be  their  interest  and  their  comfort  too,  to  go 
to  Buffalo,  and  up  the  lake  to  Fort  Meigs,  28  miles  within  the 
Maume  Bay,  and  from  thence  up  that  river  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Auglaze  or  Fort  Wayne,  and  so  on  to  their  place  of  destination. 
Early  in  the  spring  of  the  year  is  the  best  time  for  emigration  that 
way,  as  the  streams  are  then  full,  and  they  will  find  an  easy  and 
sure  navigation,  even  in  its  present  unimpared  state. 

The  country  around  Fort  Wayne  is  very  fertile;  the  situation 
is  commanding  and  healthy,  and  here  will  rise  a  town  of  great 
importance,  which  must  become  an  immense  depot. 

The  Fort  is  now  only  a  small  stockade ;  no  troops  are  stationed 
here  and  less  than  thirty  dwelling  houses,  occupied  by  French  and 
American  families,  form  the  whole  settlement,  but  as  soon  as  the 
land  shall  be  surveyed  and  offered  for  sale,  inhabitants  will  pour 
from  all  quarters  into  this  future  thoroughfare,  between  New 
York  and  the  Mississippi,  Missouri,  &c.  &c. 

The  unlocked  for  progress  of  that  stupendous  work,  the  New 
York  Grand  Canal,  a  wrork  of  the  most  momentous  consequences 
to  the  people  of  the  western  country,  and  to  the  Union  of  the 
United  States,  whereby  the  countries  bordering  on  the  Lakes  are 
to  be  bound  by  the  strongest  of  all  ties,  interest,  to  the  Atlantic 
states,  electrifies  the  citizens  of  this  country,  who  now  behold 
themselves  transported,  as  it  were,  with  their  rich  possessions  near 
the  ocean,  and  already  bless  its  proprietors  and  supporters. 


From  An  historical,  topographical  and  descriptive  view  of 
the  United  States  of  America,  and  of  upper  and 
lower  Canada,  by  E.  Mackenzie  [1820],  pp.  208- 
210. 

MACKENZIE,  ENEAS. 

Unlike  most  of  the  other  accounts,  this  work  of  Mr.  Mackenzie's  makes 
no  attempt  to  force  his  own  personal  observations  upon  the  reader,  but 
simply  presents  in  a  well  organized  manner,  the  best  historical  and  descrip- 
tive material  that  could  be  found  concerning  the  New  World.  Mr.  Mac- 
kenzie was  by  training  a  journalist  and  an  historian.  He  had  produced  a 
history  of  Egypt;  a  history  of  Northumberland;  a  modern  Geography,  etc., 
and  was  in  position  to  readily  judge  the  value  of  authentic  material.  His 
work  abounds  with  numerous  letters  written  by  people  who  were  residents  of 
America  or  who  had  visited  here.  These  views  are  arranged  in  an  interesting 
style,  and  the  seven  hundred  and  more  pages  contain  one  of  the  best  accounts 
published  during  the  first  quarter  of  the  last  century. 

INDIANA. 

Situation  and  Extent.  Indiana  is  situated  between  north  lat. 
37  deg.  47  inin.  and  41  deg.  50  min.,  and  west  long.  7  deg.  40 
min.  and  10  deg.  45  min.  Its  greatest  length  is  284  miles,  and  its 
breadth  155.  Its  area  is  38,000  square  miles,  or  24,320,000 
acres. 

Natural  Geography. — The  face  of  the  country  is  hilly,  not 
mountainous;  and  the  scenery  is  said  to  be  rich  and  variegated, 
abounding  with  plains  and  large  prairies. 

The  principal  river  is  the  Wabash,  which  is  said  to  be  a 
beautiful  stream,  280  yards  broad  at  its  outlet,  and  navigable 
upwards  of  220  miles.  It  rises  near  the  boundary  line  between 
the  state  of  Ohio  and  Indiana,  about  100  miles  from  lake  Erie, 
where  there  is  a  portage  of  only  eight  miles  between  it  and  the 
Miami  of  the  lakes.  Its  course  is  nearly  south-west,  and  the  dis- 
tance it  runs,  including  its  windings,  is  not  less  than  500  miles.  A 
great  many  tributary  streams  flow  into  it;  the  chief  of  which  is 
White  river,  upwards  of  200  miles  long.  Tippacanoe  river,  near 
which  are  the  largest  settlements  of  Indians  in  the  territory,  falls 
into  the  Wabash;  and  it  is  near  the  outlet  of  that  river  where  the 
Prophet  is  at  present  collecting  his  forces. 

The  soil  is  said  to  be  generally  rich  and  fertile.  The  climate  is 
delightful,  except  in  the  neighbourhood  of  marshes,  chiefly  con- 
fined to  the  lower  parts  of  the  territory. 

(244) 


ENEAS  MACKENZIE.  245 

The  settlements  commenced  about  22  or  23  years  ago,  and 
have  made  considerable  progress,  though  they  have  been  retarded 
by  the  settlement  of  the  fertile  and  beautiful  state  of  Ohio,  which 
is  situated  between  this  and  the  old  states.  The  greater  part  of 
the  territory  is  yet  subject  to  Indian  claims.  Where  they  have 
been  extinguished,  and  the  white  settlements  have  been  made,  it 
is  divided  into  four  counties,  and  22  townships,  the  greater  part 
of  which  are  on  the  Ohio;  and  some  few  on  the  Wabash  and  White- 
water river.  The  inhabitants  amounted,  by  the  census  of  1800, 
to  5,641;  they  now  amount  to  86,734,  being  an  increase  of  81,093 
in  17  years. 

The  agriculture  of  the  territory  is  nearly  the  same  as  that  of 
the  state  of  Ohio.  Every  kind  of  grain,  grass,  and  fruit  comes  to 
maturity;  and  towards  the  southern  part  of  it  considerable  crops  of 
cotton  are  raised,  though  only  for  domestic  use. 

Towns. — The  principal  town  is  Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash. 
It  is  an  old  settlement,  and  the  inhabitants  are  mostly  of  French 
extraction;  they  amounted,  by  last  census,  to  670. 

Trade. — As  the  inhabitants  make  nearly  all  their  own  cloth- 
ing, they  have  little  external  trade.  What  little  they  have  is 
down  the  river  to  New  Orleans. 

Government. — The  constitution  or  government  in  this  new 
country  is  similar  to  that  of  the  other  neighbouring  states, — excel- 
lent in  theory,  but  too  often  vile  and  corrupt  in  practice.  It 
declares,  in  pompous  language,  that  all  men  are  free;  but  if  their 
skins  be  black,  they  are  not  included  in  this  declaration,  slaves 
being  necessary  for  the  ease  and  comfort  of  the  freemen  of  Indiana. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  view  the  Southern  States  of  the  Union, 
agreeably  to  the  arrangement  we  have  adopted. 


From  Journal  of  a  tour  to  Fort  Wayne  and  the  adjacent 
country,  in  the  year  1821,  by  the  Author. 

TEAS,  THOMAS  SCATTERGOOD. 

The  author  of  this  journal,  which  has  never  before  been  published,  was 
born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in  1796.  He  was  well  educated  for  his  day  and 
was  a  German  and  French  scholar.  He  early  developed  an  inclination  to 
see  the  country  and  study  nature  at  first  hand.  In  his  twentieth  year  he 
traveled  on  foot  from  Philadelphia  to  the  Delaware  Water  Gap.  He  con- 
tinued his  tramp  to  New  York  City,  which  he  describes  as  vastly  inferior  to 
Philadelphia  in  buildings  and  public  spirit  in  general. 

His  next  tramp  was  to  Indiana  by  way  of  Niagara  Falls,  and  the  next 
year  he  traveled  on  -foot  from  Philadelphia  to  Indiana  by  way  of  Pittsburgh. 

"Brother  Charles"  Teas,  mentioned  at  the  beginning  of  this  journal, 
lived  eight  miles  north  of  Richmond,  Indiana. 

2nd  day  7th  month  9th,  I  sat  off  from  my  brother  Charles 
completely  equipped  for  a  journey  in  the  wilderness,  and  with 
three  day's  provisions — crossed  the  West  fork  of  White-water, 
here  about  2  yards  wide,  and  came  on  14  miles  to  the  edge  of  the 
settlement — entered  the  wilderness  at  half  past  12  o'clock — 
passed  several  dry  channels  of  creeks,  but  not  one  running  stream, 
till  I  reached  the  Massissiniway  river.  This  stream  is  about  -3 
yards  wide  here,  and  very  shallow.  It  flows  about  West — Soon 
after  crossing  it,  I  discovered  a  clearing,  and  finding  a  settler 
there,  I  put  up  with  him;  distance  30  miles — course  due  North — 
Here  I  was  regaled  with  cold  sour  Indian  bread  and  milk. 

10th  After  passing  the  principal  part  of  the  night  in  continual 
warfare  with  myriads  of  fleas,  I  was  compelled  to  retreat  from  the 
field,  or  rather  bed  of  battle,  about  two  hours  before  daybreak, 
and  got  a  little  sleep  in  a  chair.  A  little  before  sunrise  it  began  to 
rain,  and  continued  pouring  down  till  7  o'clock,  when  having  taken 
breakfast  of  the  same  delicate  fare  which  constituted  my  supper, 
and  paying  50  cents  for  what  my  host  was  pleased  to  call  my  "enter- 
tainment"; I  departed,  not  much  prepossessed  in  favour  of  the  life 
of  a  frontier  settler.  The  rain  has  made  it  very  unpleasant  travel- 
ling the  soil  being  very  mellow,  the  mud  is  ancle  deep,  and  the 
dripping  bushes  soon  wet  me  above  the  middle.  The  musquitoes 
and  gnats  are  as  numerous  here  as  along  the  sea  shore,  and  are  very 
troublesome.  About  8  'clock  the  sun  shone  out — hardly  ever  more 
welcome  to  me,  arrived  at  the  Wabash  at  5  o'clock,  P.  M.  This 
is  a  beautiful  river,  about  7  yards  wide,  flowing  W.  N.  West. 

(246) 


THOMAS  SCATTERGOOD  TEAS.  247 

Here  I  halted  to  rest,  and  by  sitting  in  the  smoke  of  a  fire  which  I 
kindled,  made  out  to  keep  off  the  musquitoes  at  the  risk  of  suffo- 
cation. The  remains  of  Indian  hunting  camps  are  numerous  along 
the  road.  The  principal  game  that  are  found  here  are  deer — 
there  are  also  plenty  of  wolves.  Their  tracks,  and  those  of  deer, 
are  every  where  to  be  seen  in  the  mud.  I  have  not  seen  many  bear 
tracks.  After  resting  myself,  I  came  on  till  sunset,  and  was  look- 
ing out  for  a  convenient  place  to  encamp,  when  I  discovered  an 
opening  ahead,  and  soon  entered  on  a  beautiful  prairie,  overgrown 
with  high  grass,  and  terminating  in  a  thick  wood.  At  the  distance 
of  about  half  a  mile,  I  saw  a  cabin,  and  on  reaching  it  was  received 
with  kindness.  This  prairie  is  about  40  miles  long,  and  from 
i  to  15  miles  wide.  Its  long  grass,  waving  in  the  wind,  bears 
some  resemblance  to  the  waves  of  the  sea  in  a  light  breeze.  Like 
most  other  prairies,  the  water  on  it  is  bad,  and  fevers  and  agues 
must  be  the  companions  of  those  who  settle  on  it.  The  man  at 
whose  house  I  stopped,  has  four  of  his  family  sick.  He  dug 
a  well  36  feet  deep,  in  hopes  of  procuring  good  water,  but  has  failed 
of  success.  The  water  is  the  most  curious  I  ever  saw.  It  is 
of  a  pale  blue  colour,  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur,  and  has 
the  smell  of  burnt  gunpowder.  He  told  me  that  it  curdles  milk 
almost  instantaneously.  Course  to  the  Wabash  due  North,  thence 
N.  N.  West — distance  30  miles. 

llth  Came  on  through  a  flat  level  country  abounding  in  hic- 
cory  swamps,  to  the  St.  Mary's  river,  where  I  arrived  at  five 
o'clock.  This  is  a  handsome  river,  flowing  about  N.  West  with  a 
slow  current — it  is  about  25  yards  wide — the  road  runs  nearly 
parallel  with  it — three  miles  farther  is  the  house  of  Robert  Doug- 
lass, where  I  stopped.  Course  N.  West,  distance  15  miles.  There 
was  formerly  an  Indian  village  here — the  ruins  of  8  of  the  cabins 
are  still  visible.  Douglas  is  building  a  raft  of  logs,  to  float  down  to 
Fort  Waj-ne,  and  as  he  will  be  ready  to  start  tomorrow,  I  accepted 
his  invitation  to  accompany  him. 

12th  WThile  we  were  at  breakfast,  a  Miami  Indian  and  his 
family  consisting  of  his  wife  and  one  small  child,  came  to  the 
house.  They  were  on  their  way  up  the  river.  Douglas  held  a 
broken  conversation  with  them  in  the  few  words  of  their  language 
he  knew.  I  accosted  him  in  English  and  French,  but  he  shook 
his  head.  They  breakfasted  with  us,  and  after  breakfast  we  all 
went  dowTn  to  the  river.  The  Indian  had  left  his  canoe  near  our 
raft.  It  was  made  of  hickory  bark,  stripped  from  a  log  in  one 
piece,  about  ten  feet  long,  the  ends  sewed  up  with  filaments  of 


248  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

bark,  and  the  sides  stiffened  with  ribs  of  wood  sewed  in  the  same 
manner.  I  was  told  that  they  would  make  a  canoe  in  a  couple  of 
hours.  The  raft  not  being  entirely  finished,  we  set  to  work  and  by 
12  o'clock  were  ready  to  get  under  way.  The  crew  consisted  ot 
Douglas,  commander,  two  men,  and  myself,  passenger.  We  pro- 
ceeded slowty  down,  the  river  being  low,  for  about  half  a  mile, 
when  Douglas  sent  the  canoe  (or  long  boat,)  ahead  to  reconnoitre 
a  ripple  which  was  about  half  a  mile  farther,  and  it  returned  with  a 
report  that  in  consequence  of  the  low  stage  of  water,  it  would  be 
impossible  for  us  to  pass  it.  There  being  no  alternative  but  to 
wait  for  a  rise  of  the  river,  we  came  too,  and  secured  the  raft  to  the 
shore,  much  to  my  satisfaction,  as  I  had  anticipated  a  tedious 
passage — returned  to  the  house,  and  after  taking  in  a  supply  of 
jerked  venison,  I  sat  off  about  2  o'clock.  About  6  miles  further,  I 
passed  the  remains  of  a  large  Indian  hunting  camp.  About  sun- 
set, having  found  a  convenient  place  to  encamp,  and  collected 
materials  for  my  fire,  I  found  that  I  had  lost  my  tinder  box. 
This  was  a  serious  loss — for  though  I  had  tinder  and  flints,  I 
had  no  steel;  and  to  lie  down  without  a  fire,  would  have  been  almost 
certain  death  on  account  of  the  wolves.  The  only  chance  of  safety 
was  to  climb  a  tree.  While  I  was  looking  for  a  convenient  one,  I 
heard  the  report  of  a  gun  at  some  distance,  and  soon  after,  of  2 
more :  Supposing  it  to  proceed  from  a  hunting  party  of  Indians,  I 
pushed  through  the  woods  as  rapidly  as  I  could,  and  in  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  came  to  a  clearing.  Three  or  four  young  men 
(Indians,)  were  standing  near  the  cabin,  talking.  As  soon  as  they 
saw  me,  one  of  them  gave  a  shout,  and  went  into  the  cabin.  Pres- 
ently after,  an  elderly  man  came  out,  and  on  my  accosting  him, 
came  to  me,  and  shook  hands,  which  banished  the  uneasy  sensa- 
tions I  had  felt  at  first  for  as  I  was  alone  and  unarmed,  their 
manner  had  given  me  some  little-  alarm,  though  I  still  walked 
towards  them  and  endeavored  to  conceal  it.  Finding  that  the 
elderly  man  spoke  very  broken  English,  I  accosted  him  in  French, 
which  he  spoke  very  fluently.  He  welcomed  me  to  his  house 
with  such  a  friendly  air,  that  I  was  soon  at  ease.  I  told  him  of  the 
loss  of  my  tinder  box,  and  the  predicament  I  was  in,  when  I  heard 
the  firing.  He  said  that  it  was  his  young  men  who  had  been  out 
hunting,  and  congratulated  me  on  the  escape  I  had  made.  His 
name  is  La  Fontaine;  he  is  of  French  descent,  and  belongs  to  the 
Miami  tribe.  He  has  begun  farming  on  a  regular  plan,  after  the 
manner  of  the  whites.  He  has  only  been  here  since  the  3rd 
month,  and  has  erected  a  comfortable  log  cabin,  with  a  bark  one 


THOMAS  SCATTERGOOD  TEAS.  249 

adjoining,  and  cleared  6  acres,  which  is  in  very  fine  looking  corn — 
he  has  deadened  about  30  acres  more.  His  house  is  pleasantly 
situated  on  the  West  bank  of  the  St.  Mary's.  His  family  consists 
of  his  wife,  her  sister,  and  a  little  boy,  about  8  years  old,  whom  he 
has  adopted,  having  no  children  of  his  own.  The  young  merj  I 
saw,  are  hired  to  assist  him  in  farming.  Our  supper  was  served  up 
in  a  curious  style.  The  table  was  set  with  a  tin  bucket  of  young 
Hyson  tea,  in  which  a  proper  proportion  of  sugar  and  milk  were 
mixed,  a  tin  basin  of  fried  vension,  another  of  butter,  a  third  of 
wheat  cakes,  two  tin  cups,  and  two  knives.  My  host  made  an 
apology  for  the  want  of  forks,  that  they  had  not  got  into  the 
way  of  using  them  yet.  The  provisions  were  excellent.  After 
spending  a  very  agreeable  evening  with  him,  I  retired  to  sleep, 
on  a  deer  skin,  with  a  blanket  covering — distance  today  12  miles, 
course  N.  West.  La  Fontaine  informed  me  that  the  Miami 
tribe  amounts  at  present  to  1,800  souls,  and  that  their  number  is 
nearly  stationary,  there  being  about  the  same  number  killed  in 
their  drunken  quarrels,  as  are  born.  Thirty  have  been  killed  in 
their  quarrels  with  each  other,  since  the  first  of  the  5th  mo.  last. 
Their  pension  is  18,400  dollars,  which  is  equally  divided  between 
men,  women,  and  children.  They  receive  this  annuity  at  Fort 
Wayne,  and  but  a  small  part  of  it  is  taken  from  there — the 
principal  part  being  expended  for  whiskey.  The  laws  of  the  U. 
S.  for  preventing  the  introduction  of  liquors  among  the  Indians, 
though  very  severe,  are  ineffectual.  The  evidence  of  an  Indian, 
even  if  they  would  give  it  for  the  detection  of  smugglers  of  whiskey, 
will  not  be  taken  in  law,  and  the  country  is  as  yet  such  a  wilder- 
ness, that  the  chances  of  detection  are  few.  A  person  might  remain 
in  the  woods  within  five  or  six  miles  of  Fort  Wayne,  for  a 
year,  without  being  discovered  by  any  white  settler.  It  has  been 
the  custom  of  the  traders  to  bring  whiskey  in  kegs  and  hide  it  in 
the  woods  about  half  a  mile  from  the  fort,  a  short  time  previous 
to  the  time  of  paying  the  annuity,  and  when  the  Indians  come  to 
the  fort,  to  give  information  to  such  of  the  young  men  as  the  trad- 
ers can  confide  in,  that  there  is  whiskey  to  be  had  at  those  places. 
These  inform  their  comrades,  and  as  soon  as  they  receive  their 
money,  they  go  off  in  droves  to  the  places  appointed  where  they 
frequently  buy  it  at  two  dollars  a  pint,  till  their  money  is  gone,  and 
then  pawn  their  blankets,  guns,  bracelets,  and  other  trinkets,  till 
they  are  sometimes  reduced  to  a  state  of  nudity.  In  this  manner 
the  unprincipled  traders  evade  the  laws  with  impunity,  and  render 
all  the  efforts  of  the  friends  of  civilization  abortive. 


250  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

13th  After  breakfasting  with  my  hospitable  host,  I  took  leave  of 
him,  and  proceeded  on  my  journey.  Four  miles  from  his  house, 
came  to  that  of  Rocheville,  the  principal  chief  of  the  Miamis. 
He  has  a  very  handsome  farm,  and  lives  in  quite  a  genteel  style. 
He  was  gone  to  Detroit,  and  neither  his  wife  nor  children  speak- 
ing any  language  that  I  could  understand,  I  made  but  short 
stay  there,  passed  several  Indian  cabins,  and  entered  on  a  large 
prairie  which  extended  as  far  as  I  could  see,  crossed  the  St.  Mary's, 
and  soon  after  arrived  at  Fort  Wayne.  Distance  9  miles  due  West. 
The  settlement  at  this  place  consisted  of  about  30  log  cabins  and 
two  tolerably  decent  frame  houses.  It  is  situated  on  the  Miami  of 
Lake  Erie,  at  the  junction  of  the  St.  Joseph's  and  St.  Mary's, 
which  form  the  Miami.  The  inhabitants  are  nearly  all  French 
Canadians.  The  fort  stands  at  the  lower  end  of  the  village,  and  is 
composed  of  hewn  log  buildings  about  35  feet  high,  and  the  inter- 
vals between  them  filled  up  with  a  double  row  of  pickets,  20 
feet  high.  It  is  about  60  yards  square.  There  is  no  garrison  kept 
here,  and  the  barracks  are  occupied  by  the  Indian  Agent,  the 
Baptist  missionary,  and  some  private  families.  There  is  a  school 
for  the  Indian  children  in  the  fort,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Bap- 
tist Society.  It  is  conducted  on  the  Lancasterian  system;  the 
teacher's  name  is  Montgomery.  On  my  arrival,  as  the  school  was 
the  principal  object  of  curiosity,  I  waited  on  the  missionary, 
whose  name  is  McKoy,  and  requested  him  to  accompany  me  to 
it,  which  he  did;  and  during  my  stay  in  fort  Wayne,  treated  me 
with  an  attention  as  unexpected  as  it  was  gratifying.  There  are 
about  forty  scholars.  It  is  pleasing  to  see  the  order  in  which  the 
school  is  kept,  and  the  delight  that  the  scholars  seem  to  take  in 
their  studies.  There  were  two  boys  of  the  Pottowattomie  tribe, 
who  had  only  been  2  weeks  at  school,  who  were  spelling  in  words 
of  four  letters.  As  soon  as  they  begin  to  learn  their  letters,  they 
are  furnished  with  a  slate,  and  form  letters  on  it  in  imitation  of 
printed  type.  About  half  the  scholars  were  writing,  and  many  of 
them  write  a  very  good  hand.  Their  improvement  is  such  as  to 
remove  all  doubts  as  to  their  capacity.  After  spending  a  very 
agreeable  afternoon  here,  I  returned  to  the  tavern.  There  are  con- 
siderable numbers  of  Indians  here,  of  the  Pottawattomies,  Shaw- 
anees,  Miami,  Utawas,  and  Delaware  tribes.  Notwithstanding  the 
efforts  of  the  Indian  Agent  to  prevent  the  traders  from  selling 
whiskey  to  them,  they  still  contrive  to  do  it;  I  have  seen  as  many 
as  fifty  of  them  drunk  during  my  short  stay  here.  They  assemble 
in  groups  of  ten  or  twelve,  men  and  women  promiscuously, 


THOMAS  SCATTERGOOD  TEAS.  251 

squat  on  the  ground,  and  pass  the  canteen  rapidly  round,  and  sing, 
whoop,  and  halloo,  all  laughing  and  talking  at  once,  with  the  most 
horrible  contortions  of  the  countenance;  so  that  they  reminded 
me  of  Milton's  demons.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  see  them  entirely 
naked,  except  a  strip  of  clothing  a  foot  broad,  about  their  middle. 
This  evening  six  deserters,  who  had  been  taken  and  sent  to  Green 
Bay,  and  discharged  after  serving  their  time  out,  arrived  here. 
They  were  miserable  looking  fellows — One  of  them  came  to  the 
tavern,  and  offered  to  barter  a  roll  of  tobacco  for  whiskey,  but  was 
refused.  They  took  up  their  quarters  for  the  night  in  an  empty 
cabin. 

14th  Spent  the  day  in  rambling  through  the  woods  round  the 
town.  I  took  care  to  procure  a  steel.  There  is  an  U.  S.  reserve 
of  six  miles  square  round  the  town,  and  the  settlers  are  squatters, 
who  pay  no  tax  nor  rent,  and  are  liable  to  be  ordered  off  at  a 
minutes'  warning.  The  village  before  the  late  war,  was  much 
larger  than  it  is  at  present.  The  Indians  destroyed  all  the  houses 
except  two  which  were  near  the  fort,  and  which  were  burnt,  by 
order  of  the  commandant,  to  prevent  the  Indians  from  setting 
fire  to  them  when  the  wind  should  set  towards  the  fort,  and  burn 
it.  Beyond  the  U.  S.  reserve,  there  are  a  number  of  reserves  belong- 
ing to  the  Indians.  The  soil  in  the  whole  tract  between  here  and 
Whitewater  is  very  rich,  and  there  is  a  rank  growth  of  underwood 
— ginseng  grows  in  abundance  in  the  woods,  and  in  the  bottoms 
along  the  St.  Marys,  there  is  a  great  deal  of  sarsaparilla.  There 
is  much  less  beech  timber  here  than  farther  south,  and  the  prin- 
cipal timber  is  oak,  white,  black  and  red,  and  hiccory — there  is  no 
poplar,  the  other  woods  are  the  same  with  those  along  the 
Ohio,  excepting  the  sycamore,  of  which  I  saw  none.  This  part  of 
the  country  possesses  great  commercial  advantages,  and  when 
it  becomes  settled,  will  be  a  place  of  great  business.  The  Grand 
Canal  from  N.  York  to  Buffaloe  will  open  a  water  course  to  the 
sea,  and  it  is  in  contemplation  to  cut  a  canal  from  the  St.  Joseph's 
to  the  Little  river,  a  branch  of  the  Wabash;  the  distance  from  the 
nearest  point  of  communication,  (about  \  a  mile  from  Fort 
Wayne)  is  1\  miles,  and  the  whole  distance  is  through  a  prairie; 
so  that  the  expense  of  cutting  a  canal  will  be  trifling,  and  then  there 
will  be  a  water  course  either  to  New  York  or  New  Orleans.  The 
only  disadvantage  that  I  observed  in  this  county,  (which,  how- 
ever is  a  great  one,)  is  the  scarcity  of  water.  There  is  not  at  this 
time,  a  single  running  stream  between  here  and  the  Whitewater, 
except  the  three  rivers  I  mentioned.  This  inconvenience,  however, 


252  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

will  be  less  felt  by  those  who  settle  along  the  rivers.  I  have  never 
known  what  it  was  to  suffer  for  water  till  I  took  this  journey— 
the  only  water  I  could  get  was  from  waggon  ruts  which  the  rain 
had  filled,  and  as  it  had  not  rained  for  several  weeks,  they  were 
mostly  dry.  This  water,  where  it  was  exposed  to  the  sun,  was  gen- 
erally covered  with  a  green  scum,  and  where  it  was  shaded,  was 
full  of  musquitoes — but  necessity  compelled  me  to  drink  it.  The 
rnusquitoes  are  another  great  pest.  I  never  saw  them  thicker 
along  the  sea  shore  than  they  are  in  the  woods;  and  it  is  impos- 
sible to  stop  to  rest  without  kindling  a  fire,  and  siiting  in  the 
smoke  of  it,  at  the  risk  of  strangulation.  The  St.  Mary's  is 
navigable  for  perogues  about  160  miles  from  Fort  Wayne.  The 
Fort  is  about  15  miles  West  of  the  Ohio  line,  in  Randolph  County. 
This  is  a  fine  country  for  raising  stock.  In  the  river  bottoms,  the 
grass  grows  very  luxuriant  and  in  the  woods,  there  is  an  abund- 
ance of  herbage  of  one  kind  or  other,  so  that  cattle  will  keep 
fat  without  feeding  at  home,  with  what  they  will  find  in  the  woods. 
There  are  some  as  fine  looking  cattle  here  as  I  ever  saw. 

15th.  Sat  off  for  Wapaughkonnetta,  came  24  miles  in  a  S. 
eastern  course,  and  finding  a  settler,  stopped  at  his  house. — 16th 
came  on  through  a  continued  region  of  oak  land,  thickly  wooded, 
to  the  St.  Mary's  river — crossed  it  at  Shane's  ferry — Anthony 
Shane  is  an  Indian,  who  keeps  a  tavern  here.  He  has  a  fine  farm, 
and  has  laid  out  a  town  here,  called  Shanesville;  there  are  three 
houses  built,  and  one  more  begun.  From  here  the  country  is 
settled  about  six  miles.  Soon  after  leaving  Shane's,  I  entered 
on  a  beautiful  prairie,  thinly  timbered  with  black  and  red  oak 
which  is  scattered  in  groves  over  its  whole  extent.  It  is  entirely 
clear  of  brush  or  underwood,  and  covered  with  long  grass.  The 
surface  is  not  quite  level,  but  gently  undulating;  and  upon  the 
whole  it  is  the  most  beautiful  land  I  ever  saw.  It  extends  from  the 
St.  Mary's  river  about  ten  miles.  Came  four  miles  from  Shanes- 
ville to  the  house  of — Dennison — distance  20  miles,  Course 
S.  East. 

17th.  Came  3  miles  to  twelve-mile-creek;  crossed  it,  and 
entered  the  forest  again.  The  timber  here  is  principally  beech- 
missed  the  Wapaughkonnetta  trace,  and  came  to  Fort  St.  Mary's 
at  the  head  of  canoe  navigation  on  that  river.  There  has  been  no 
garrison  kept  here  for  several  years,  and  the  fort  has  gone  to  decay 
— a  block  house  is  the  principal  vestige  of  it  remaining. — Near 
the  fort  is  the  tumulus  of  an  Indian. — A  wall  is  raised  with  sap- 
lings about  3  feet  high,  round  it,  covered  with  bark. — Crossed 


THOMAS  SCATTERGOOD  TEAS.  253 

the  St.  Mary's  here,  and  soon  after  struck  an  Indian  trail  which  I 
supposed  to  lead  to  Wapaughkonnetta.  After  travelling  along 
it  about  ten  miles  came  to  Pasheta's  town,  an  Indian  village  of  six 
or  seven  cabins,  on  the  Au  Glaize  river — found  an  Indian  who 
could  speak  a  little  English,  and  received  directions  from  him  for 
Wapaughkonnetta — crossed  the  Au  Glaize,  and  two  miles  further 
came  in  sight  of  the  town.  The  Indians  are  thickly  settled  in  this 
part  of  the  country.  They  are  Shawanese — passed  4  more  graves, 
covered  like  the  first.  Came  to  the  house  of  Robert  Broderick, 
U.  States'  blacksmith,  where  I  was  very  hospitably  received.  The 
Indians  here  are  about  500  in  number,  and  receive  3,000  dollars  per 
annum.  This  year's  pension  they  requested  in  goods  and  it  was 
accordingly  forwarded  last  week  in  blankets,  calicoes,  broad  cloths, 
&c.  This  evening  Capt.  Logan  and  his  son  came  to  Broderick's 
to  have  a  chain  mended.  The  son  whose  name  is  "Walk  by  the 
side  of  the  Water,"  is  the  most  perfect  model  of  masculine  beauty 
that  I  ever  saw.  He  was  very  tastefully  dressed  in  a  costume  not 
much  unlike  that  of  a  Scotch  Highlander.  His  father  is  a  fat 
butcher  looking  man.  After  they  had  gone,  I  remarked  to  R. 
Broderick,  that  I  thought  the  young  man  very  beautiful.  He 
replied  that  if  I  had  seen  him  about  three  weeks  before,  with  his 
clothes  sprinkled  with  the  blood  of  a  man  whom  he  had  murdered, 
I  might  have  thought  differently.  He  had  been  commissioned  by 
his  father,  who  is  one  of  the  chiefs,  to  kill  an  Indian  who  had 
murdered  another  a  few  days  before,  and  he  accordingly  went  in 
quest  of  him,  armed  with  a  long  knife.  They  met  in  the  street, 
and  "Walk"  &c.  informed  the  culprit  that  he  was  come  to  kill 
him;  a  piece  of  information  which  was  in  no  wise  agreeable  to  him. 
He  attempted  to  make  his  escape,  but  the  executioner  soon  over- 
took him  and  stabbed  him  in  the  neck,  he  fell,  and  was  soon  dis- 
patched. Walk  then  came  to  Broderick's  and  shewed  him  the 
knife  which  was  dripping  with  blood,  gave  him  a  full  account  of 
the  murder  with  as  much  apparent  concern  as  though  he  had  been 
killing  a  cat.  Distance  today  27  miles.  Course  S.  E.  to  Fort 
St.  Mary's,  thence  due  East.  18th  Took  a  walk  through  the  town. 
It  is  a  tolerably  large  one,  extending  nearly  a  mile  scattering. 
There  are  several  French  traders  here.  The  society  of  Friends 
have  erected  a  grist  and  saw  mill  on  the  Au  Glaize  at  this  place, 
and  employ  a  person  to  attend  them.  A  school  is  to  be  opened  in 
the  9th  month  next.  Just  as  we  were  sitting  down  to  break- 
fast, a  company  of  surveyors,  accompanied  by  General  Beasley 
arrived.  They  took  breakfast  with  us,  and  after  breakfast,  I 


254  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

took  leave  of  Brodericks,  and  returned  to  Fort  St.  Mary's,  and 
thence  to  Dennisons.  27  miles.  19th.  Came  to  Shanesville. 
Captain  Shane  shewed  me  a  plot  of  the  town.  It  is  handsomely 
laid  out,  the  streets  six  perches  wide  crossing  each  other  at  right 
angles,  and  intersected  with  alleys  two  perches  wide.  The  lots  on 
Main  and  Market  Streets  sell  for  60  dollars.  They  are  a  quarter 
of  an  acre  each.  He  also  shewed  me  a  copy  of  an  act  of  Congress, 
granting  him  half  a  section  of  land  (where  he  is  settled),  in  con- 
sideration of  his  "valuable  and  honorable  services  during  the  late 
war."  He  commanded  a  company  of  Shawanese. 

From  here  I  took  a  blazed  path,  leading  to  Captain  Riley's, 
but  it  being  a  new  one,  and  but  little  travelled,  I  soon  lost  it,  and 
concluded  to  follow  the  course  of  the  river — a  determination  I 
soon  had  ample  cause  to  repent — The  river  bottoms  in  general 
were  from  one  to  three  hundred  yards  wide,  and  covered  with 
grass  from  five  to  eight  feet  high,  and  so  matted  together,  that 
it  was  extremely  difficult  to  force  my  way  through  it.  On  the 
high  grounds  back  of  the  river,  the  nettles  grew  about  as  high 
as  my  shoulders,  and  stung  me  almost  beyond  the  power  of 
endurance;  and  where  there  was  no  room  for  nettles,  the  vines  and 
prickly  bushes  formed  a  thicket  that  at  any  other  time  I  would 
have  thought  impenetrable.  In  order  to  get  along  here,  I  had  to 
crawl  on  my  hands  and  knees,  and  fairly  push  myself  through  them 
till  wearied  out  with  this  way  of  getting  along  at  the  rate  of  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  per  hour,  I  took  to  the  river,  and  waded  along 
its  banks  till  they  became  so  steep  that  the  water  came  up  to  my 
armpits,  and  then  took  to  the  long  grass,  the  nettles  and  thickets 
again. — Soon  after,  I  crossed  a  fallen  tree  that  I  recollected  having 
crossed  about  an  hour  before.  By  this  time,  I  had  wandered  in  so 
many  different  directions,  that  I  was  completely  bewildered. 
The  sun  was  about  an  hour  high,  and  appeared  to  be  in  the  east. 
I  corrected  that  error  with  my  compass,  but  owing  to  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  ground,  I  could  not  carry  it  in  my  hand,  and  at  last  I 
could  not  tell  when  I  saw  the  river,  whether  I  was  ascending  or 
descending  its  banks.  I  now  began  to  entertain  serious  fears  of 
not  being  able  to  reach  any  house,  and  the  alternative  was,  to 
perish  in  this  execrable  wilderness,  as  I  had  no  provisions,  nor 
any  means  of  procuring  them.  The  only  living  animals  I  saw, 
were  deer,  which  were  numerous  in  the  long  grass. — About  sun- 
set, as  I  was  looking  out  for  a  place  to  encamp,  being  almost 
worn  down  with  fatigue,  and  bleeding  with  scratches  from  the 
briers,  I  discovered  the  path!  None  but  those  who  have  been  in  a 


THOMAS  SCATTERGOOD  TEAS.  255 

similar  condition  can  form  an  idea  of  the  joy  I  felt  at  being  thus 
rescued  from  the  most  horrible  death.  As  I  knew  that  it  would 
soon  be  too  dark  to  see  the  path,  I  forgot  my  weariness,  and  pushed 
ori  as  rapidly  as  the  faintness  of  the  tracks  would  allow,  and  after 
going  about  2|  miles,  saw  Captain  Riley's  clearing,  and  a  little 
after  dusk  arrived  at  his  house.  He  received  me  very  kindly,  and 
when  I  told  him  the  course  I  had  come,  he  expressed  great  sur- 
prise that  I  should  have  reached  his. house  at  all — distance  today 
18  miles. — Course  North,  South,  East,  and  West.  Spent  a  very 
agreeable  evening  with  the  Captain  and  his  family.  20th.  After 
breakfast  we  sat  off  and  came  along  as  dim  a  road  as  the  one  I  lost 
yesterday,  but  having  had  good  cause  to  take  more  heed  to  my 
steps,  I  made  out  to  keep  it  for  about  8  miles,  when  I  arrived  at 
the  house  of  Thomas  Robinson,  on  the  Wabash  prairie.  Course 
S.  S.  West.  Here  I  struck  the  Richmond  road,  came  about  nine 
miles  below  the  Wabash,  and  encamped — distance  25  miles.  21st. 
Came  to  the  Massissiniway  at  ten  o'clock.  A  few  miles  below,  took 
Connor's  trace  (an  Indian  trader)  by  mistake,  and  came  on  6  miles 
before  I  had  discovered  my  error;  but  as  the  trace  bore  about  S. 
S.  W.  I  concluded  to  go  on.  This  road  leads  to  Greenville.  I 
reached  a  settlement  before  dark — distance  30  miles. — 22. — 
Came  on  about  30  miles,  and  arrived  at  my  brother  Charles' 
at  4  o'clock  P.  M.  and  thus  ended  my  journey,  having  travelled 
287  miles — and  occupied  two  weeks  very  agreeably— 

And  so  my  paper  being  also  nearly  expended, 

The  account  of  my  adventures  shall  be  ended. 


From   Memoirs  of  William  Forster,  edited  by  Benjamin 
Seebohm. 

FORSTER,  WILLIAM. 

William  Forster,  a  minister  of  the  Society  of  Friends  in  England  was 
born  in  1784.  He  was  recognized  as  a  minister  in  1805.  He  was  a  helper  of 
Elizabeth  Fry  in  her  philanthropic  work.  In  1820  he  was  induced  to  under- 
take a  mission  to  the  United  States  in  behalf  of  the  Society  of  Friends  in 
America.  He  spent  five  years  in  America  traveling  in  New  England,  Canada, 
New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  Maryland,  Ohio,  Indiana 
and  Illinois.  In  1821-1822  he  spent  several  months  in  Indiana,  chiefly  among 
Friends  in  the  newly  settled  districts. 

He  came  to  the  United  States  again  in  1853  in  the  interests  of  the  anti- 
slavery  movement  and  presented  an  address  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States  and  to  the  governors  of  a  number  of  the  States.  He  died  in  Tennessee 
in  1854  while  on  this  mission. 

llth  mo.  29th  \1821\  At  Lewis's  Tavern,  Shelby  Raven,  Indiana. 
.  .  .  This  backwoods  tavern  consists  of  two  log-houses,  with  a  cov- 
ered passage  between  them;  each  perhaps  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
feet  square;  the  largest  is  our  landlord's  dwelling  house  for  him- 
self, his  wife,  and  six  children.  How  they  dispose  of  several 
others  members  of  the  family  it  is  difficult  to  imagine.  The 
apartment  which  wTe  inhabit  just  holds  four  beds;  one  of  them  is 
alloted  to  John  and  me;  our  companion  and  four  other  travel- 
lers will,  I  suppose,  divide  the  other  three  between  them.  It  is  a 
most  thoroughly  disagreeable  way  of  life.  Our  worthy  host  is  a 
man  of  good  understanding  and  established  respectability,  from 
Carolina.  We  were  at  their  meeting  yesterday,  to  which  I  found 
they  had  invited  several  of  their  neighbors.  After  a  time  of  deep 
indwelling  before  the  Lord,  I  was  enlarged  in  consolation  and 
invitation  and  counsel,  to  my  own  confirmation.  I  suppose  the 
meeting  does  not  consist  of  less  than  sixty  or  seventy  families. 
We  have  now  a  long  formidable  journey  on  prospect,  forty-six 
miles  to  Vincennes. 

30th.  Washington,  Davies  County. — Instead  of  the  crowded 
cabin  and  noisy  family  of  last  night,  we  have  a  snug  chamber  to 
ourselves,  a  nice  glowing  hearth,  and  a  neat  chamber.  We  came 
eight  miles  to  a  late  breakfast  in  Hindostan,  a  newly  begun  town 
of  about  twenty  houses.  Our  road,  so  far,  like  that  we  travelled 
yesterday,  was  hilly,  and  the  country  but  thinly  inhabited.  We 
ferried  the  river,  which  we  were  told  is  400  yards  in  width;  and, 

(256) 


WILLIAM  FORSTER.  257 

after  ascending  a  hill,  had  a  fine  level  road  through  a  country 
comparatively  open,  and  in  some  places  wholly  clear  of  large 
timber.  We  found  the  settlements  much  more  numerous,  and  at 
intervals  finely  cultivated  farms. 

12th  mo.  2nd.  Vincennes. — We  did  not  see  our  host  till  this 
morning.  Por  man!  his  history  touched  me;  his  wife  died  about 
four  years  ago,  and  has  left  him  with  ten  children.  Proprietor  of 
800  acres  of  land  in  that  fine  country,  some  of  his  children  are 
covered  with  rags  just  hung  over  their  shoulders,  forming  a  spec- 
tacle that  would  have  excited  our  compassion  for  the  children  of 
the  poorest  beggar  at  our  door. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  travelling  on  the  road.  Some  going  out 
to  Illinois  and  Missouri;  and  nearly  as  many  returning  to  their 
former  residences,  discouraged  by  sickness,  or  disappointed  in  not 
finding  the  Elysium  they  had  been  seeking. 

We  appointed  a  meeting  for  the  evening  at  the  Court-house. 
On  going  to  it,  we  found  a  considerable  number  of  people  assem- 
bled, who  appeared  very  unsettled.  I  strove  to  be  quiet,  and,  a 
small  opening  to  service  presenting,  I  rose  with  the  tide,  and 
was  borne  along  on  a  gentle  current  of  heavenly  love,  speaking  of 
Christ  and  his  salvation,  warning  and  inviting  the  people,  and, 
comforting  the  oppressed  and  penitent  sinner  with  the  hope  of 
mercy  and  deliverance.  I  was  afterwards  engaged  in  prayer  and 
intercession  for  the  sincere  and  seeking  believers,  for  the  wordly 
and  carnally  minded,  and  the  negligent  and  indifferent,  and  for 
the  people  at  large  in  this  place,  that  they  might  be  turned  from 
their  iniquity,  and  seek  to  serve  and  fear  the  Lord. 

The  town  is  not  so  large,  nor  the  houses  so  good,  as  some  we 
have  seen  in  the  Western  country.  It  was  originally  built  and 
settled  by  a  colony  of  French  emigrants  from  Canada,  above  100 
years  ago;  and  was,  I  suppose,  one  of  the  principal  outposts  on 
this  side  of  the  mountains  for  trading  with  the  Indians.  Lat- 
terly a  number  of  Americans  settled  in  among  them;  they  have  no 
place  for  worship  but  a  Popish  chapel;  but  the  Methodists  and 
Presbyterians  occasionally  use  the  Court-house  for  their  meet- 
ings. The  town  stands  on  a  large  flat  or  sandy  plain,  which 
appears  by  nature  uncongenial  to  the  growth  of  timber. 

.  .  .1  am  sorry  to  say  there  are  many  slaves  in  the  town — I 
suppose  mostly  such  as  were  held  under  the  territorial  govern- 
ment; but  the  State  Legislature  had  made  provision  for  their 
freedom.  We  hear  sad  stories  of  kidnapping.  I  wish  some  active 
benevolent  people  could  induce  every  person  of  colour  to  remove 

T— 17 


258  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

away  form  the  river,  as  it  gives  wicked,  unprincipled  wretches  the 
opportunity  to  get  them  into  a  boat,  and  carry  them  off  to  Orleans 
or  Missouri,  where  they  still  fetch  a  high  price.  I  have  been 
pleading  hard  with  a  black  man  and  his  wife  to  get  off  for  some 
settlement  of  Friends,  with  their  five  children;  and  I  hope  they  will 
go.  I  hardly  know  anything  that  would  make  me  more  desperate 
than  to  be  in  the  way  of  this  abominable  system  of  kidnapping; 
I  cannot  say,  when  once  set  on  to  rescue  a  poor  creature,  where  I 
would  stop.  It  is  most  shocking  to  think  that  they  will  betray  ono 
another,  and  sometimes  the  black  women  are  the  deepest  in  these 
schemes.  A  poor  man  told  us  that  he  never  went  to  bed  without 
having  his  arms  in  readiness  for  defence. 

5th.  Harmony,  Posey  County. — Believing  I  could  not  peacefully 
relinquish  the  prospect  of  visiting  our  friends  to  the  west  of  the 
Wabash,  we  pursued  our  journey  to  the  southward.  Yesterday 
afternoon  we  had  a  meeting  at  the  house  of  a  widow  Friend,  in  a 
little  colony  of  emigrants  from  New  York;  some  of  them  Friends, 
others  more  or  less  remotely  connected  with  the  Society. 

After  a  wilderness  journey,  we  arrived  here  just  as  the  town 
clock  struck  five.  This  is  an  interesting  village,  a  settlement  of 
Germans  who  came  into  America  upwards  of  sixteen  years  ago. 
They  established  themselves  in  the  first  instance  on  the  waters  of 
the  Big  Beaver,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  removed  to  this  place  about 
seven  years  ago.  They  have  a  fine  estate  of  25,000  acres — 3,000 
cleared  and  fenced,  and  from  what  we  saw  it  was  in  a  state  of  good 
cultivation.  The  village  contains  about  700  inhabitants;  they 
appear  an  orderly,  industrious,  and  sober  people.  There  are  some 
handsome  brick  dwellings  and  large  wood  houses  in  the  village,  a 
neat  place  of  worship,  and  a  commodious  inn.  It  is  difficult  to 
form  any  correct  opinion  of  the  people  on  such  very  slight  acquaint- 
ance, especially  such  as  speak  a  strange  language ;  but  it  is  not  too 
much  to  say  there  is  nothing  prepossessing  in  their  appearance. 
It  has  to  me  more  the  appearance  of  a  community  devoted  to 
temporal  aggrandizement  than  to  religious  attainment.  Their 
industry,  neatness,  and  order,  and  especially  their  cleanliness,  are 
great.  It  is  difficult  to  ascertain  their  religious  principles.  They 
object  to  oaths  and  war,  but  are  in  the  practice  of  paying  a  fine  in 
lieu  of  personal  service;  community  of  goods  and  implicit  submis- 
sion to  their  elder  or  headman  are  enjoined. 

Having  crossed  over  into  the  State  of  Illinois,  he  continues  his  narrative. 
6th.  Albion. — We  were  ferried  over  the  Wabash,  about  a  quarter 


WILLIAM  FORSTER.  259 

of  a  mile  in  width,  by  a  man  and  two  boys.  I  pleased  myself  with 
giving  each  of  the  lads  a  New  Testament,  and  the  poor  man  appear- 
ing anxious  to  posses  the  same  treasure  I  did  not  hesitate  to  grat- 
ify him.  The  poor  fellow,  in  the  aboundings  of  his  gratitude, 
offered  to  return  the  ferriage,  which  of  course  I  did  not  accept. 
Our  road  was  for  the  first  few  miles  through  a  very  extensive  cane 
break.  After  traversing  a  more  hospitable  region,  we  came  across 
two  or  three  large  prairies.  Having  been  shut  up  in  the  woods 
for  such  a  length  of  time,  it  was  gratifying  beyond  description  to 
enjoy  the  extent  of  prospect.  We  were  heartily  welcomed  by  the 
landlady  at  Albion,  who  turned  out  to  be  our  cousin  Morris  Birk- 
beck's  old  servant. 

Keeping  near  the  Wabash  they  pursued  their  journey  in  Illinois  to  the 
north. 

We  got  off  early  in  the  afternoon,  and  came  about  sixteen 
miles,  most  of  the  way  a  very  lonely  road,  through  a  large  extent 
of  prairie.  There  being  no  inn  on  the  road,  we  found  more  than 
common  difficulty  in  obtaining  accommodation  for  the  night, 
but  at  length  succeeded  better  than  we  had  hoped  for.  One  of  the 
young  men  had  brought  home  a  fine  fat  buck  the  day  before, 
and  we  had  a  nice  broiled  venison,  both  for  supper  and  breakfast 
next  morning.  Our  lodging  was  not  quite  so  agreeable;  my  com- 
panion and  I  had  a  bed  below  stairs.  In  the  same  room  was  a 
poor  woman,  confined  to  her  bed  by  sickness;  our  landlady  was 
her  companion  for  the  night;  another  stranger  slept  on  the  floor, 
and  our  other  friends  up  in  the  loft.  The  poor  woman  was  very 
ill  in  the  night,  so  that  we  had  not  a  very  comfortable  time  of 
rest.  Being  brought  into  feeling  for  the  poor  sick  woman,  I 
mentioned  my  wish  to  have  the  family  collected,  which  was  readily 
complied  with;  and  I  may  confess  with  thankfulness  that  the 
opportunity  was  to  my  relief  and  comfort.  With  the  hope  of  a 
quiet  afternoon,  and  perhaps  a  meeting  in  the  evening,  we  set 
off,  intending  to  travel  a  stage  of  twelve  miles.  Instead  of  find- 
ing the  distance  to  Laurenceville  only  twelve  or  fifteen  miles,  as 
we  had  been  led  to  expect,  from  the  time  spent  on  the  road  we 
concluded  it  could  not  be  less  than  twenty-one  or  twenty-two 
miles.  When  we  got  there,  though  the  town  is  laid  out  for  the 
county-seat,  we  found  it  so  much  in  its  infancjr  as  to  contain  but 
one  tavern,  and  that,  with  its  rough  exterior,  affording  but  little 
hope  of  comfort.  With  the  expectation  of  better  fare  farther  on 
the  road,  we  were  easily  induced  to  pursue  our  journey,  intending 


260  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

to  take  up  with  such  accommodation  as  we  might  meet  with  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Embarras,  which  falls  into  the  Wabash  a 
few  miles  below  Vincennes.  We  met  with  some  detention  at  the 
ferry;  but  by  the  help  of  a  crazy  boat,  and  lazy,  awkward  ferry- 
men, got  safe  over.  Here  we  had  the  vexation  to  find  we  had  not 
come  forward  for  much  better  fare;  everything  was  so  completely 
miserable,  that  after  a  little  refreshment,  for  which  we  had  to 
wait  long,  we  determined  to  go  on  a  few  miles,  and  trust  to  the 
hospitality  of  some  of  the  neighbouring  farmers  for  a  night's 
lodging.  We  found  our  way  by  the  light  of  the  full  moon,  to  the 
house  of  a  kind-hearted  man,  from  the  State  of  New  York,  who 
without  much  hesitation  agreed  to  give  us  shelter  for  the  night. 
Though  lately  a  magistrate,  and  holding  a  large  tract  of  fine  land, 
he  had  but  a  small  cabin ;  he  readily  gave  us  one  bed,  and  made  up 
another  for  our  companions,  on  the  floor;  and  the  man  and  his 
wife  and  six  children  divided  the  other  two  among  themselves. 
This  was  not  very  agreeable,  but  much  more  tolerable  among 
strangers,  than  in  the  company  of  old  acquaintance.  I  pleased 
myself  with  distributing  some  of  our  little  store  of  books  among 
their  fine  family;  and  with  the  expression  of  hearty  good-will 
on  both  sides  we  took  our  seats  in  the  waggon,  soon  after  sun- 
rise, and  reached  the  small  town  of  Palestine,  situated  at  the  foot 
of  La  Motte  Prairie,  about  mid-day.  I  took  a  short  walk  into  the 
environs  of  the  town:  the  scenery  was  novel  and  very  striking;  it 
had  much  the  appearance  of  a  large  level  common  or  green,  of 
several  miles  in  circumference,  with  settlements  about  every  half- 
mile  round  the  margin;  and  the  adjacent  woods,  particularly 
towards  the  Wabash,  contain  large  and  very  lofty  timber,  syca- 
more, hackberry,  cotton-wood,  &c. 

Riding  pretty  nearly  the  length  of  this  prairie,  we  came  to 
another  interval  of  wood,  and  then  entered  Union  Pairie,  and 
having  a  fine  level  road  soon  drove  to  the  house  of  our  friend 
Reuben  Crow,  eighty  miles  from  Albion.  After  another  cold  and 
very  wakeful  night,  we  parted  from  our  friends  at  Union,  our  host 
kindly  accompanying  us  to  the  Wabash.  Before  we  set  off,  we 
had  an  opportunity  of  retirement  in  the  family;  I  was  much 
engaged  both  on  account  of  the  father  and  children,  and  under 
the  prevalence  of  Divine  love  it  was  a  season  of  instruction  and 
consolation.  When  we  reached  the  river,  we  found  the  ice, 
which  I  suppose  had  been  formed  in  the  night,  floating  in  large 
sheets.  It  wore  a  fearful  aspect;  and  the  ferryman  not  having 
all  his  men  at  hand,  to  reconcile  us  to  the  detention  of  two  or  three 


WILLIAM  FORSTER.  261 

hours,  said  quite  enough  to  make  me  think  it  would  be  hazardous 
crossing;  but,  taking  the  opportunity  when  the  river  was  clearer 
than  it  had  been  for  sdme  time  previous,  we  got  through  with 
safety. 

Having  now  re-entered  the  State  of  Indiana  they  pursued  their  course  to 
a  small  settlement  of  Friends  on  the  eastern  banks  of  the  Wabash. 

After  two  or  three  hours  travelling,  we  met  with  a  warm 
welcome  from  our  friend  Moses  Hogget t,  at  his  comfortable  habita- 
tion on  Honey  Creek  Prairie.  Next  day  we  had  a  meeting  with 
Friends  to  some  satisfaction  and  relief,  and  spent  the  afternoon 
and  evening  at  the  house  of  an  agreeable,  open-hearted  friend 
on  the  banks  of  the  Wabash.  On  Sixth-day,  we  had  a  bleak  cold 
ride,  about  ten  miles  higher  up  the  river,  to  Spring  Creek. 

We  were  guests  to  our  friend  Benjamin  Bailey,  and  his  worthy 
wife,  who  had  not  been  previously  visited  by  Friends.  I  think  they 
did  their  very  best  to  keep  us  warm;  but,  the  cabin  being  without  a 
window,  we  were  obliged  to  have  the  door  open  for  light,  and  the 
logs  not  being  well  plastered,  it  required  some  little  watchfulness 
to  suppress  the  rising  of  a  murmer.  We  had  a  meeting  with  a  few 
Friends  in  the  neighbourhood  in  the  evening,  which,  though  not 
without  some  unpleasant  interruption,  was  attended  with  suffi- 
cient feeling  to  satisfy  us  that  we  were  pursuing  the  path  of  duty; 
and  as  there  is  a  prospect  of  more  Friends  settling  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, I  trust  it  will  not  be  long  before  they  are  encouraged 
to  hold  a  meeting  among  themselves.  We  parted  from  the  dear 
friends  in  much  love,  early  in  the  forenoon,  and  drove  briskly 
along  a  fine  road  to  Terre  Haute,  a  small  town  and  county-seat 
recently  erected  on  a  high  bluff  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Wabash. 
I  wished  to  have  had  a  meeting  there;  but,  finding  there  was  no 
suitable  accommodation  to  be  obtained,  we  come  on  without 
much  delay  to  Moses  Hoggett's.  It  was  a  fine  clear  winter's 
evening,  and  I  took  a  pretty  long  walk  on  the  prairie,  to  hunt 
for  seeds.  I  met  with  many  plants  I  had  not  seen  before;  and,  had 
I  been  a  few  weeks  earlier,  I  suppose  I  could  have  had  a  large  col- 
lection of  such  as  would  have  been  very  acceptable  to  many  of 
my  friends  at  home;  however,  I  had  gathered  a  few,  which  I 
intend  to  send  to  Philadelphia.  These  prairies  would  be  a  remark- 
ably interesting  field  of  research  to  some  of  our  English  botanists; 
and  probably  the  time  is  not  very  distant  when  many  of  these 
plants  will  contribute  much  to  the  ornament  of  some  of  our  gar- 
dens. 


262  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

We  were  at  a  meeting  again  with  Friends  at  Honey  Creek,  on 
First-day  morning,  when  I  was  unusually  enlarged  in  exercise  for 
their  help  and  preservation. 

About  noon,  we  got  to  our  friend  Joshua  Dick's,  on  Turman's 
Creek,  and  in  the  evening  had  a  meeting,  about  one  mile  distant, 
at  Abner  Hunt's,  where  we  lodged.  It  is  quite  a  new  settlement  of 
Friends,  from  the  upper  part  of  North  Carolina;  perhaps  there 
may  be  fifty  individuals,  and  it  is  but  lately  they  have  begun  to 
hold  a  meeting.  I  was  given  up  to  labour  in  word  and  doctrine,  as 
the  way  might  be  opened  for  me;  and  I  trust  that  to  some  it  was  an 
opportunity  of  instruction,  and  the  renewing  of  strength;  the  day 
closed  in  peace.  We  had  now  visited  Friends  very  generally  on 
the  Wabash;  their  number  is  not  large,  and  certainly,  as  to  that 
which  constitutes  the  life  and  power  of  religion,  the  Society  must 
be  considered  to  be  in  a  low  state.  There  is  no  friend  acknow- 
ledged as  a  minister  among  them;  and  I  had  to  fear  that  the  dici- 
plme  is  far  from  being  supported  in  the  authority  of  Truth,  and 
that  the  attendance  of  meetings  for  worship  was  regarded  by  many 
Friends  with  great  indifference. 

"Feeling  released  from  apprehension,  by  which  he  had  been  deeply 
exercised,"  that  it  might  be  required  of  him  to  extend  his  travels  into  the 
State  of  Missouri,  he  now  proceeded  to  the  "White  River  Settlement  of 
Friends,"  in  southern  Indiana. 

On  Third-day  morning  we  parted  from  our  kind  friend  Moses 
Hoggett;  we  found  him  a  sensible,  well-informed  man,  and  an 
agreeable  companion.  He  is  much  interested  in  the  prosperity  of 
their  rising  colony,  and  has  been  in  the  office  of  a  Circuit  or  Dis- 
trict Judge.  We  got  a  tolerably  comfortable  inn  that  evening. 
The  road  being  bad  and  slippery,  we  did  not  travel  more  than  seven- 
teen miles  in  the  course  of  that  day.  We  came  to  Carlisle  next 
morning;  and  had  hoped  to  have  gone  immediately  to  a  small 
settlement  of  Friends,  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  distant;  but  we  were 
easily  turned  from  our  course,  on  hearing  of  the  improbability  of 
our  being  able  to  cross  the  river,  as  it  was  supposed  to  be  frozen 
over,  and  yet  not  hard  enough  to  bear  our  waggon.  After  some 
detention,  we  changed  our  course  from  east  to  north-east,  and 
about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  stopped  at  the  cabin  of  very 
civil  people,  new  settlers  from  Kentucky.  It  was  well  they  did 
not  turn  us  adrift,  as  we  were  twenty  miles  from  the  next  house; 
and  the  weather  being  very  cold,  with  a  slight  covering  of  snow 
on  the  ground,  it  would  not  have  been  the  most  pleasant  night  to 
have  camped  out  for  the  first  time.  The  people  were  very  kind, 


WILLIAM  FORSTER.  263 

and  did  their  best;  and  we  were  too  grateful  for  a  shelter  to  mur- 
mur at  accommodation  to  which  we  could  hardly  have  submitted 
at  the  beginning  of  our  Western  tour.  One  of  their  children  was 
very  sick,  and  cried  most  piteously  in  the  night.  I  endeavoured 
to  think  of  something  that  might  afford  the  poor  child  a  little 
relief;  and  the  parents  were  so  thankful  for  a  few  articles  of 
medicine  that  there  was  no  making  them  take  anything  for  our 
entertainment. 

We  had  a  pretty  fair  specimen  of  backwoods  travelling  the 
next  day.  The  country  was  thinly  wooded,  undulating,  and  beau- 
tifully interspersed  with  prairies,  and  in  some  places  the  land- 
scape was  more  picturesque  than  any  I  have  seen,  whilst  entirely 
devoid  of  the  aid  of  art.  The  prairies  had  much  the  appearance  of 
large  gentlemen's  parks,  with  groups  and  groves  of  timber,  sit- 
uated as  if  planted  to  give  the  finest  effect  of  scenery.  We  stopped 
to  bait  about  one  o'clock  and  made  ourselves  a  fire  in  the  woods 
for  the  first  time.  We  enjoyed  our  dinner,  but  the  country  was 
too  much  frozen  to  afford  us  any  water  for  ourselves  or  our  horses. 
Early  in  the  evening  we  reached  the  habitation  of  one  of  the  most 
complete  backwoodsmen  we  had  met  in  our  travels.  He  had 
been  brought  up  among  Friends  in  Georgia.  He  was  a  bachelor, 
and  had  his  widowed  sister  and  her  family  living  with  him.  Every- 
thing was  rough  in  the  extreme.  I  had  some  serious  conversa- 
tion with  the  poor  man  next  morning  which  I  trust  was  well 
received.  WTe  then  had  five  miles  to  the  ferry,  which  we  found  had 
been  kept  open,  and  the  water  being  low  we  were  soon  across,  and 
travelling  about  six  miles  we  reached  the  house  of  a  Friend  lately 
come  into  the  woods.  They  showed  us  much  kindness,  and  find- 
ing that  if  we  pursued  our  journey  more  than  two  or  three  miles 
we  could  not  get  to  any  house  that  night,  we  were  soon  persuaded 
to  stay  and  take  up  our  quarters  with  them.  It  was  a  clean, 
agreeable,  and  well-ordered  family;  and,  though  we  were  crowded 
together  within  narrow  limits,  it  was  really  more  of  a  rest  than  we 
had  met  with  for  several  days.  We  had  an  early  breakfast  the 
next  morning,  and  an  opportunity  of  retirement  with  the  family 
to  some  comfort.  They  had  bought  land  in  the  woods,  expect- 
ing other  Friends  would  follow  them,  and  that  they  should  have  a 
meeting,  but,  as  in  some  other  instances  that  we  met  with,  had 
been  disappointed,  and  talked  of  moving.  Such  instances  are 
much  calculated  to  excite  one's  sympathy.  Industrious,  upright 
Friends  in  low  circumstances,  spending  no  small  portion  of  their 
little  property,  and  two  or  three  years  of  the  best  of  their  strength, 


264  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

in  settling  themselves  in  a  new  country,  and  then  when  they  have 
got  a  few  acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  and  their  buildings  put 
up,  have  often  to  break  up  their  establishment,  and  move  again; 
but  even  that  is  far  better  than  bringing  up  a  family  secluded 
from  good  society,  and  remote  from  meeting. 

Early  in  the  evening  we  reached  the  neighbourhood  of  Indian- 
creek,  where  our  enjoyments  were  not  superabundant.  We  had  a 
very  small  meeting  the  next  day;  possibly  there  might  be  one  or  two 
to  whom  it  is  an  opportunity  of  encouragement,  and  I  thought 
that  in  great  mercy  I  was  permitted  some  access  to  the  Source 
of  good  for  my  own  help.  Parting  from  our  friends  in  that  set- 
tlement, I  believe  in  true  love,  we  came  on  four  or  five  miles  to  the 
house  of  a  man  who  readily  gave  us  shelter  for  the  night;  and  it 
was  well  we  had  not  occasion  to  ask  for  more,  as  the  family  were 
bare  of  meat  of  any  description,  and  were  then  living  on  hominy, 
with  plenty  of  fat  pork.  This  was  almost  the  only  family  we  met 
with  that  was  not  abounding  in  the  necessaries  and  ordinary  com- 
forts of  life.  We  took  to  our  lodging  on  the  floor  with  pretty  good 
heart;  the  man  and  his  wife  and  eight  or  nine  children,  and  their 
son  and  his  wife,  occupying  the  beds  slung  around  the  room. 

On  reaching  the  White  River  district  the  narrative  proceeds: 

After  a  journey  through  a  hilly,  broken  country,  we  reached 
the  habitation  of  a  friend  near  White  River  meeting-house.  They 
had  but  a  small  cabin,  open  and  very  cold;  and,  though  they  had 
begun  a  new  house,  capable  of  being  made  a  comfortable  habita- 
tion, in  consequence  of  the  sickness  which  had  been  general  in 
that  neighbourhood  last  fall,  and  with  which  they  had  been 
affected,  they  had  made  but  little  progress.  Our  meeting  next 
day  was  to  some  comfort  and  relief.  In  the  afternoon  our  friends 
kindly  collected  in  a  pretty  strong  party,  and  cut  a  way  for  us 
through  the  ice,  about  eight  inches  in  thickness,  so  that  we  ferried 
over  the  east  branch  of  White  River,  perhaps  100  or  150  yards  in 
width.  Early  next  morning  we  found  ourselves  at  the  home  of  our 
friend,  Joseph  Farlow,  near  Lick-creek;  a  meeting  is  lately  settled 
just  by  his  premises,  of  perhaps  twenty-five  families.  We  had  a 
religious  opportunity  with  them  next  forenoon,  in  which  I  was 
more  enlarged  than  on  some  other  occasions.  That  evening  we 
visited  a  friend  confined  to  the  house  in  very  great  helplessness, 
and  on  Sixth-day  had  a  meeting  at  a  Friend's  house  on  Lost 
River.  It  was  small,  and  not  to  much  relief;  but  not  entirely  in 
vain.  On  Seventh-day  was  the  Monthly  Meeting  of  Lick-creek,  a 


WILLIAM  FORSTER.  265 

large  gathering  of  Friends.  I  ventured  to  speak  on  several  sub- 
jects in  the  meeting  for  discipline.  Friends  showed  us  much  love, 
and  I  trust  there  was  a  willingness  at  least  to  hear  what  was  com- 
municated. On  First-day  the  meeting  was  large.  I  was  poorly, 
and  brought  very  low;  but,  in  the  riches  of  condescending  mercy 
and  goodness,  was  ultimately  enlarged  in  much  love.  At  the  close 
was  held  their  meeting  for  ministers  and  elders,  which  I  attended, 
and  in  which  I  was  not  silent.  On  Second-day  we  had  an  agree- 
able ride  through  the  woods  to  Mount  Pleasant.  On  Third-day  we 
were  at  a  small  and  newly-settled  meeting  there. 

It  was  late  on  Fourth-day  when  we  reached  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Blue  River  Meeting.  Nathan  Trueblood  gave  us  a  kind 
welcome  to  his  comfortable  habitation,  and  next  day  accompanied 
us  to  a  small  meeting  two  or  three  miles  from  his  house.  It  was  an 
opportunity  of  profitable  instruction  to  me,  and  possibly  might  be 
no  less  so  to  others.  On  Fifth-day  we  were  at  the  week-day  meet- 
ing at  Blue  River,  in  which  I  thought  I  was  made  sensible  of  the 
power  of  divine  love,  and  spoke,  I  trust,  to  the  encouragement  of 
the  afflicted,  and  such  as  were  under  depression;  afterwards  was 
held  their  Preparative  Meeting,  and  the  meeting  of  ministers  and 
elders.  In  the  latter  I  was  much  exercised,  and  ventured  on  some 
expression.  Sixth-day  was  very  cold;  we  walked  to  the  little 
town  of  Salem,  about  two  miles  distant,  where  we  had  a  meeting 
in  the  Court-house.  I  had  gone  through  much  discouragement 
about  it;  but  I  sought  to  be  simple  and  resigned,  and  to  move  in 
what  I  believed  to  be  the  leadings  of  the  Spirit.  I  was  favoured  to 
feel  more  relieved  than  could  have  been  hoped  for,  Seventh-day 
we  attended  their  Monthly  Meeting.  I  was  exercised  under  a  con- 
cern to  bring  Friends  into  feeling  for  themselves  and  the  low  state 
of  things  among  them;  and  in  the  meeting  for  discipline  I  was 
engaged  to  speak  on  different  subjects.  We  went  home  with 
Matthew  Coffin,  an  elderly  friend,  lately  come  with  his  wife  and 
daughter  from  North  Carolina. 

I  had  requested  public  notice  to  be  given  of  the  meeting  on 
First-day  morning.  It  was  a  large  gathering.  I  was  much  given 
up  to  labour  honestly  and  faithfully  in  the  work  of  the  Gospel.  I 
was  exercised  for  the  awakening  of  transgressors;  and,  having 
reason  for  fear  that  some  of  these  had  taken  refuge  in  unbelief, 
it  was  no  wonder  if  the  terrors  of  the  law,  and  the  invitations  of 
the  Gospel,  should  be  alike  rejected. 

Turning  now  again  to  the  north,  they  visited  the  meetings  along  the 
Driftwood,  and  then  proceeded  towards  Richmond. 


266  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

We  parted  from  our  friends  at  Blue  River  in  much  love,  and  on 
Second-day  reached  the  house  of  Thomas  Newby,  near  Drift- 
wood Meeting-house,  having  forded  the  Muskaketah.  After  the 
meeting  for  worship,  and  their  Preparative  Meeting  on  Fourth- 
day,  we  went  home  with  Jacob  Morris  and  his  wife,  kind  Friends. 
We  had  an  open,  heart-tendering  opportunity  the  next  morning, 
in  which,  under  the  sensible  feeling  of  Divine  love,  consolation 
and  encouragement  were  offered  both  to  the  friends  and  their 
daughters.  Early  in  the  evening  we  arrived  at  Thomas  New- 
some's,  near  Sandy-creek.  There  are  four  or  five  families  in  the 
neighbourhood  recently  emigrated  from  Carolina.  We  had  a 
meeting  with  them  in  the  evening,  in  which  a  door  of  utterance 
was  opened.  We  set  off  soon  after  breakfast,  and  pursued  our 
journey  to  a  new  settler's  on  the  Flat  Rock  Creek.  Being  very 
remotely  situated  from  other  Friends,  we  appeared  to  be  wel- 
comed guests,  and  the  dear  woman  did  much  to  try  to  make  us 
comfortable.  They  gave  us  a  bed;  but  our  companions,  with  two 
other  visitors  who  came  in  the  course  of  the  evening,  had  their 
lodging  on  the  floor.  It  is  one  of  the  great  inconveniences  atten- 
dant on  an  early  settlement  in  the  woods,  that  they  are  expected 
to  take  in  all  of  every  class  who  apply  for  accommodation.  Some 
friends  gave  us  an  account  of  the  number  that  had  been  housed 
on  their  cabin  floors  almost  beyond  credit. 

On  Seventh-day,  having  parted  from  our  friends  in  love  after  a 
religious  opportunity,  we  continued  our  journey,  most  of  the 
way  within  sight  of  the  waters  of  the  Flat  Rock.  Our  road  was 
very  much  through  the  wilderness,  sometimes  five  or  six  miles,  or 
further,  without  seeing  a  house;  but,  considering  that  it  is  but 
about  two  years  since  the  country  was  vacated  by  the  Indians 
and  offered  for  public  sale,  it  far  exceeded  our  expectation  to  find 
it  so  well  inhabited,  and  in  several  places  much  improved,  for  the 
time  they  have  had  it  in  hand.  I  believe  that  nearly  the  whole  of 
the  State  of  Indiana  has  been  purchased  from  the  natives;  and 
instead  of  holding  reservations  of  land  in  their  former  territory,  as 
in  Ohio,  New  York,  &c.,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  who  form  a 
small  settlement  somewhere  in  the  centre  of  the  State,  they  have 
accepted  an  annuity  from  Congress,  and  gone  over  the  Mississippi. 
I  do  not  pretend  to  much  judgment  in  such  things,  but  I  think  I 
have  not  seen  in  the  course  of  my  travels  any  country  so  well 
suited  to  support  a  large  population  as  the  interior  of  this  State. 
Peach  trees  grow  with  astonishing  rapidity,  bearing  fruit  in  three 
years.  In  the  older  settled  parts  of  the  country  we  found  some 


WILLIAM  FORSTEK.  267 

good  apple  orchards;  and  they  give  a  most  tantalizing  description 
of  the  size  and  richness  of  their  water-melons.  The  country  is 
undulating,  with  but  few  large  hills,  and  not  much  that  lies  on  a 
dead  level;  they  have  coals  and  salt,  and  iron. 

We  dined  in  the  woods  by  a  large  fire,  and  that  night  were 
well  accommodated  at  the  habitation  of  a  wealthy  settler  of  Ger- 
man extraction,  who  has  brought  plenty  of  good  things  into  the 
wilderness,  and  purchased  not  less  than  1,000  acres  of  land.  He 
was  a  zealous  professor  among  the  Baptists,  and  would  not  receive 
any  remuneration  for  my  accommodation,  which  I  understand  is 
not  unfrequently  the  case  with  serious  persons  in  America,  espe- 
cially when  they  know  the  traveller  receives  no  pay  for  his  min- 
istry. It  was  First-day  morning,  and  no  small  trial  to  me  to  turn 
out  with  the  prospect  of  spending  the  day  on  the  road;  but  unless 
we  had  made  a  halt  in  the  woods — which,  considering  the  weather, 
we  could  not,  I  believe,  have  done  to  any  good  purpose — I  thought 
the  time  could  not  be  spent  more  profitably  than  in  our  waggon; 
and  having  endeavoured  to  explain  to  our  host  the  circumstances 
under  which  we  were  placed,  and  represented  in  pretty  strong 
terms  to  our  young  friends  how  great  a  trial  I  felt  it,  my  mind 
became  more  easy,  and  we  had  not  an  unpleasant  day.  Our  lodg- 
ing that  night  was  not  the  most  convenient;  but,  with  our  pro- 
vision and  many  appliances,  we  did  not  suffer  either  for  want  of 
food  or  bedding.  In  the  evening  I  read  a  few  chapters  to  the  family 
which  I  trust  was  well  received. 

Just  about  dark  the  next  day  we  arrived  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Milford1  Meeting-house,  and  were  hospitably  entertained 
at  John  Bell's,  whose  father  came  from  near  Cockermouth.  A 
meeting  was  appointed  for  the  following  day,  and  a  large  number 
attended,  Friends  and  others.  On  Fourth-day  we  were  at  the 
week-day  meeting  at  West  Union.  In  the  afternoon  we  came 
forward  to  West  Grove,2  and  attended  their  usual  week-day  meet- 
ing next  day. 

We  agreed  that  it  might  be  safe  for  us  to  proceed  thence  direct 
for  Richmond.  I  confess  the  attraction  was  very  strong  in  that 
direction,  as  I  was  full  of  hope  and  expectation  that  I  should  find 
letters  on  my  arrival.  But  there  was  not  a  single  English  letter 
for  me.  I  endeavoured  to  bear  up,  but  it  was  a  disappointment 
deeply  felt.  We  went  that  evening  to  the  house  of  Jesse  Williams; 
they  were  kind  friends,  and  having  some  understanding  of  the 


1.  Near  Miiton,  Ind. 

2.  Near  Centerville,  Ind. 


268  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

comforts  and  refinements  of  civilized  life,  though  for  the  present 
inhabiting  but  a  poor  cabin,  we  found  it  a  place  of  true  rest.  The 
meeting  at  Chester  was  large;  and,  being  in  good  measure  enabled 
to  cast  off  the  burthen  that  I  believed  to  have  been  brought  upon 
me,  I  felt  more  relieved  than  at  many  other  times. 

We  returned  with  our  friends  to  their  quiet  habitation  and  went 
with  them  to  their  meeting  at  Whitewater,  near  Richmond  on 
First-day  morning.  This  is  one  of  the  largest  meetings  in  the 
state,  containing,  I  suppose,  not  less  than  120  or  130  families, 
forty  of  whom  live  in  Richmond,  which  is  a  thriving  village,  finely 
situated  on  a  high  bank  above  the  Whitewater  river.  Appre- 
hending it  might  be  safest  to  express  a  little  respecting  a  right 
exercise  of  the  mind  on  such  occasions,  I  uttered  a  few  sentences; 
and  my  heart  being  made  tender  before  the  Lord,  I  had  to  rejoice 
in  the  grace  of  our  blessed  Saviour,  and  was  enabled  to  offer  a 
word  for  the  consolation  of  some  weary  and  tribulated  pilgrims, 
seeking  to  gather  Friends  of  the  humbling  power  of  Christ  and  the 
experience  of  his  baptism,  that  thus  the  will  and  wisdom  of  the 
creature  might  be  made  to  bow  in  subjection  to  his  Spirit,  and 
that  he  might  be  prepared  individually  to  become  subjects  of  that 
kingdom  which  is  not  of  this  world.  In  the  afternoon  we  went 
with  James  Pegg  to  his  quiet  and  peaceful  cabin  about  two  miles 
out  of  town.  We  spent  a  pleasant,  and  I  trust  not  an  unprofit- 
able evening  together;  and  on  Second-day  he  accompanied  us  to  a 
meeting  appointed  for  us  at  Orange.  It  was  much  the  exercise 
of  my  mind  that  the  people  might  be  drawn  from  outward  expecta- 
tions and  dependence,  to  a  deep  feeling  of  their  own  state. 

William  Forster  then  spent  some  time  visiting  the  numerous  meetings 
of  Friends  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State  of  Indiana. 


From  A  geographical  description  of  the    United  States,  by 
John  Melish  [1822],  pp.  347-356. 

INDIANA. 

Miles. 

Length , 250 

Breadth 145 

Area. 

36,250  Sq.  Miles. 

23,200,000  Acres. 
Situation. 

Between  37°  47'  and  41°  43'  N. 

Between  7°  45'  and  11°  W. 

Boundaries. — On  the  north,  Lake  Erie  and  Michigan  terri- 
tory; east,  Ohio;  south  and  south-east,  Kentucky;  and  west, 
Illinois. 

Face  'of  the  Country. — Indiana  is  pretty  similar  to  Ohio.  The 
country  along  the  Ohio  River  has  the  appearance  of  being  hilly 
and  broken.  In  the  interior,  the  country  becomes  flat,  and  in  some 
places  there  are  wet  prairies.  The  upper  country  along  the  Wabash 
is  agreeably  uneven.  Between  that  river  and  Lake  Michigan,  the 
country  is  mostly  level,  and  abounds  in  prairies,  small  lakes,  and 
swamps. 

Ku-ers. — White  Water  River  rises  in  Randolph  county,  near 
the  head  waters  of  the  Wabash,  and  runs  a  south  and  south-east 
course,  nearly  100  miles,  receiving  a  number  of  branches  in  its 
progress,  and  falls  into  Miami  River  a  little  above  its  junction  with 
the  Ohio. 

The  great  leading  river  in  this  state  is  the  Wabash  and  its 
waters,  but  between  these  and  the  Ohio  there  are  a  number  of  lesser 
streams,  from  30  to  50  miles  long,  all  falling  into  the  Ohio,  which 
we  shall  merely  notice  as  they  lie  from  east  to  west.  They  have 
nearly  one  general  character — they  rise  in  the  interior  of  the  state, 
they  run  a  southwardly  course,  the}'  are  general!}'  favourable  for 
mill  seats,  and  have  fertile  banks. 

Laughery  Creek  falls  into  the  river  six  miles  below  the  outlet 
of  Miami  River. 

Indian  Kentucky  Creek,  falls  into  the  river  a  few  miles  above 
Madison. 

Silver  Creek  falls  in  at  the  Falls  of  Ohio. 

(269) 


270  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Indian  Creek  falls  in  12  miles  below  Cory  don,  which  is  situated 
on  its  east  bank. 

Great  Blue  River  falls  in  at  the  bend,  seven  miles  below  Indian 
Creek. 

Anderson's  Creek  falls  in  at  Troy. 

Little  Pigeon  Creek  falls  in  at  Cyprus. 

Great  Pigeon  Creek  falls  in  at  Evansville. 

W abash  River  is  a  large  stream  \vith  numerous  branches. 
The  highest  branch  rises  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  the  head  waters 
of  the  Miami  and  St.  Mary's  River  interlock  with  it.  Thence 
it  runs  a  north-west  course  of  about  60  miles,  and  receives  the 
waters  of  Eel  River  from  the  northeast.  Eel  River  rises  near  the 
Maumee  River,  and  the  streams  may  be  connected  by  a  short 
portage.  From  Eel  River  the  Wabash  runs  nearly  west  about  30 
miles,  when  the  Mississinewa,  a  large  stream  from  the  south- 
east, falls  into  it.  It  then  makes  a  bend  of  15  miles  and  receives 
Tippecanoe  Creek  from  the  north. 

The  river  now  assumes  a  general  south-west  course,  which  it 
retains  to  the  Ohio,  distance  above  300  miles.  Seventy-five  miles 
above  the  Ohio,  it  receives  the  waters  of  White  River  and  Patoka 
River  from  the  east. 

White  River  is  a  large  stream,  with  several  branches.  The 
west  fork  rises  in  the  interior  of  the  state,  and  runs  a  south-west 
course  of  more  than  140  miles  to  where  it  meets  the  east  fork. 
The  east  fork  also  rises  in  the  interior  of  the  state,  about  40  miles 
south-east  of  the  head  of  the  west  fork,  and  runs  first  a  south, 
and  then  a  west  course,  part  of  it  very  crooked,  to  the  junc- 
tion; the  distance  being  more  than  150  miles.  In  its  progress  it 
receives  the  waters  of  numerous  streams,  chiefly  Muskakituck 
River,  Salt  Creek,  and  Indian  Creek.  From  the  junction  this 
river  runs  30  miles  nearly  a  west  course,  to  the  Wabash,  into 
which  it  falls  30  miles  below  Vincennes. 

Patoka  River  rises  near  Fredericksburg  and  runs  a  west  course 
of  80  miles  to  the  Wabash  River,  into  which  it  falls,  two  miles 
below  White  River. 

The  Wabash  is  navigable  for  large  keel  boats  to  Ouitanon, 
where  there  are  rapids.  Above  Ouitanon  it  is  navigable  in  all 
the  branches  nearly  to  their  sources.  Above  Vincennes  the  cur- 
rent is  generally  gentle,  below  these  are  several  rapids,  but  not  of 
sufficient  magnitude  to  prevent  the  navigation. 

St.  Joseph's  River,  of  Lake  Michigan,  rises  in  this  state,  near  the 
Wabash,  and  runs  N.  W.  to  the  lake;  and  Theakike  River,  a  branch 


JOHN  MELISH.  271 

of  the  Illinois,  rises  near  St.  Joseph's  River.  As  the  country  has 
not  been  surveyed  in  this  quarter,  these  streams  are  at  present 
unimportant. 

Geological  Formation. — The  geological  formation  of  this  state 
is  wholly  secondary,  and  its  general  elevation  nearly  the  same  as 
the  state  of  Ohio.  The  elevation  of  Lake  Michigan,  in  the  N.  W. 
corner,  has  been  ascertained  to  be  589  feet.  The  S.  E.  corner  is 
about  450,  and  the  south-west  about  330.  The  head  waters  of  the 
Wabash  are  probably  at  an  elevation  of  about  650  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  dea. 

Soil  and  Natural  Productions. — Nearly  the  same  as  Ohio,  but 
the  southern  part,  being  in  a  warmer  latitude,  is  more  favourable 
to  such  vegetable  substance  as  require  warmth.  Vineyards  have 
come  to  maturity  at  Vevay,  and  the  grape  flourishes  when  cul- 
tivated in  all  the  lower  part  of  the  state.  Cotton  can  also  be  raised. 

Minerals  and  Mineral  Waters. — Coal,  iron,  and  salt  are  the 
chief  minerals,  and  they  are  found  in  plenty.  There  is  a  medicinal 
spring  near  the  falls  of  Ohio,  which  is  strongly  impregnated  with 
sulphur  and  iron. 

Climate. — Nearly  the  same  as  Ohio,  except  the  southern  part, 
which  is  a  little  warmer.  At  Jeffersonville,  above  the  falls  of  Ohio, 
the  mean  heat  of  January  was  47°,  of  July  80°,  of  December  37°; 
and  of  the  whole  year  60°  3'. 

Historical  View. — The  general  history  of  this  part  of  the  North 
West  Territory  of  the  United  States  is  included  in  the  article  on 
Ohio,  except  as  to  a  few  local  circumstances.  About  the  year  1690 
the  French  traders  first  visited  this  territory,  and  about  the  year 
1702  they  descended  the  Wabash,  and  established  posts  along  its 
banks,  the  chief  settlement  being  Vincennes.  The  settlers  here 
were  for  a  long  time  insulated  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  and 
became  gradually  assimilated  with  the  Indians,  with  whom  they 
intermarried.  In  the  revolutionary  war  they  joined  the  cause  of 
the  United  States;  and  at  the  peace  they  were  confirmed  in  their 
possessions,  and  a  tract  of  land  around  Vincennes  was  given  to 
them  by  the  United  States  government.  After  the  peace  the  inhab- 
itants suffered  severely  from  the  Indians,  but  peace  was  restored 
by  the  treaty  of  Greenville.  Considerable  purchases  were  made 
from  the  Indians  up  to  1811,  but  they  still  retained  their  power, 
and  committed  great  depredations  upon  the  people,  in  consequence 
of  which  a  considerable  force  was  sent  against  them,  and  being 
defeated  in  the  close  of  that  year,  they  sued  for  peace.  Dur- 
ing the  late  war  with  England,  the  Indians  wrere  again  induced  to 
renew  hostilities,  but  were  defeated  at  all  points,  and  since  the 


272 


EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 


peace  they  have  been  very  quiet,  and  have  ceded  the  greater 
part  of  their  lands  to  the  United  States. 

In  the  year  1801,  Indiana  was  erected  into  a  territorial 
government.  In  1815  the  inhabitants  petitioned  Congress  to 
be  admitted  into  the  Union,  which  being  granted,  a  state  con- 
stitution was  formed  in  1816;  and  in  the  same  year  Indiana  became 
a  state. 

Population. — In  1800  the  population  of  Indiana  was  only 
5,641.  In  1810  it  was  24,520;  in  1815,  68,784;  and  in  1820  it  was 
147,178,  situated  as  in  the  following: 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  TABLE. 

Counties.                                       Whites.  Free  Blacks. 

Clark 8,571  138 

Crawford 2,583 

Davies 3,400  32 

Dearborn 11,396  72 

Delaware 3 , 677 

Dubois 1,160  8 

Fayette 5,941  9 

Floyd 2,707  69 

Franklin 10,698  65 

Gibson 3,801  45 

Harrison 7,806  69 

Jackson 3 ,974  36 

Jefferson 7,926  112 

Jennings 1 ,955  45 

Knox 5,153  166 

Lawrence 4, 101  15 

Martin 1,028  4 

Monroe 2,671  8 

Owen 827  10 

Orange 5 ,272  96 

Perry 2,314  15- 

Pike 1,465  4 

Posey 4,044  6 

Randolph 1 ,803  5 

Ripley 1,820  2 

Scott 2,328 

Spencer 1 ,877  2 

Sullivan 3 ,470  20 

Switzerland 3,925  9 

Vanderburgh 1 ,787  3 

Vigo 3,364  26 

Wabash 142  5 

Warrick 1,742  6 

Washington 8,980  59 

Wayne 12,053  66 


Slaves. 


30 


118 


1 

3 

11 


Total. 
8,709 
2,583 
3,432 
11,468 
3,677 
1,168 
5,950 
2,776 
10,763 
3,876 
7,875 
4,010 
8,038 
2,000 
5,437 
4,116 
1,032 
2,679 
838 
,368 
,330 
,472 
,061 
,808 
,822 


2,334 
1,882 
3,498 
3,934 
1,798 
3,390 
147 
1,749 
9,039 
12,119 


145,761 


1,227 


190    147,178 


JOHN  MELISH.  273 

Agriculture  and  Produce. — This  being  a  new  country,  the  chief 
employment  is  agriculture,  and  great  improvements  have  been 
made  in  that  branch.  The  soil  and  climate  are  both  favourable, 
and  the  products  are  valuable  and  abundant.  Wheat,  Indian 
corn,  oats,  and  rye,  all  flourish.  Flax  and  hemp  are  cultivated. 
Potatoes,  sweet  potatoes,  and  other  vegetables,  are  successfully 
raised.  Cotton  is  cultivated  in  the  lower  part  of  the  state,  and 
vine  dressing  is  brought  to  maturity.  The  number  of  persons 
employed  in  agriculture  by  the  census  of  1820  is  61,315. 

Manufactures  and  Commerce. — The  country  is  too  new  to  have 
many  manufacturing  establishments  upon  a  large  scale,  but  they 
have  been  introduced,  and  are  increasing.  The  Harmonist  Society, 
who  were  originally  settled  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  have 
removed  into  this  state,  and  settled  on  a  portion  of  the  land  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Wabash,  which  they  have  cultivated  like  a  garden; 
and  they  have  engaged  largely  in  manufactures.  This  extraordi- 
nary society  are  about  800  in  number,  and  hold  all  their  property 
in  common.  They  have  regular  office-bearers  to  conduct  all  the 
different  branches  of  business  carried  on  in  the  establishment, 
agriculture,  manufactures,  and  commerce;  and  acting  under  a  judi- 
cious and  enlightened  system,  they  have  found  manufacturing 
industry  to  be  the  most  valuable  part  of  their  operations.  It 
employs  the  greatest  number  of  hands;  it  is  most  aided  by  machin- 
ery; and  is  more  productive  than  any  other.  Settlers  in  the  new 
countries  would  do  well  to  take  a  lesson  from  this  extraordinary 
people,  who,  in  consequence  of  their  simple  but  efficacious  arrange- 
ments, good  conduct,  and  industry,  AND  BY  BEING  INDEPENDENT 

WITHIN  THEMSELVES  FOR  ALL  THEIR  MATERIAL  WANTS,  have  aCCU- 

mulated  more  wealth,  and  probably  experience  more  peace  and 
happiness  than  any  other  800  people,  taken  promiscuously,  on  the 
face  of  the  earth. 

When  the  census  of  1810  was  taken,  Indiana  was  quite  a  new 
country,  and  the  manufacturers  were  few,  the  amount  being 
estimated  at  only  $197,000.  They  have  since  greatly  increased, 
and  the  number  of  persons  employed  in  them  is  3,229. 

The  principal  commerce  of  Indiana  centres  at  Vincennes  and 
the  falls  of  Ohio.  The  state  exports  wheat,  grain,  provisions,  and 
tobacco,  and  imports  groceries  and  dry  goods.  The  number  of 
persons  employed  in  commerce  is  429. 

Chief  Towns. — Corydon,  situated  on  Pigeon  Creek,  22  miles 
west  from  the  falls  of  Ohio,  is  to  be  the  seat  of  government  until 
the  year  1825.  After  which  the  government  will  be  transferred  to 

T— 18 


274  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Indianapolis,  which  has  been  recently  laid  out  on  the  west  fork 
of  White  River,  near  the  central  part  of  the  state. 

Vincennes  is  situated  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Wabash,  about  100 
miles  from  its  outlet,  and  is  the  largest  town  in  the  state,  and  a 
place  of  considerable  trade. 

The  census  does  not  give  the  population  of  any  of  the  towns  of 
Indiana,  and  we  shall  therefore  merely  notice  them  as  they  are 
situated  on  the  respective  waters,  remarking  that  some  of  them  are 
important. 

On  the  Ohio  and  its  waters.  Lawrenceburg,  at  the  outlet  of  the 
Miami;  Vevay,  the  Swiss  settlement;  Madison,  laid  out  in  1811, 
and  now  the  second  town  in  the  state,  in  point  of  extent.  Charles- 
ton, situated  two  miles  west  from  the  river,  is  the  capital  of  Clark 
county.  Jeffersonville  is  situated  above  the  falls  of  Ohio,  and  is 
the  seat  of  a  land  office.  New  Albany  is  below  the  falls,  opposite 
to  Shippingport.  Fredonia  is  at  the  outlet  of  Big  Blue  River. 
Washington  is  opposite,  to  Stephensport,  in  Kentucky.  Troy 
is  situated  at  the  outlet  of  Anderson's  Creek.  Rockport  is  the  cap- 
ital of  Spencer  county,  16  miles  below  Troy.  Evansville  is  situated 
on  a  bend  of  the  river,  at  the  outlet  of  Great  Pigeon  Creek,  and 
here  there  is  a  road  leading  from  the  river  to  Princeton,  and 
another  to  Harmony. 

Towns  on  White  Water  River  and  its  branches,  Jackson- 
borough,  Centerville,  Salisbury,  Richmond.  Connersville,  and 
Brookville. 

On  Laughery  Creek.    Ripley,  Hartford,  and  Wilmington. 

On  Big  Blue  River.    Salem,  and  Fredericksburg. 

On  Patoka  Creek.  Columbia,  and  Princeton.  Princeton  is  a 
considerable  thoroughfare,  and  place  of  some  business. 

On  White  River  and  its  waters.  Vernon,  Browntown,  Palestine, 
Hindostan,  Greenwich,  Orleans,  Paoli,  Washington,  Petersburg, 
Russelmlle,  and  Bloomington. 

On  Wabash,  Prophet's  town,  Clinton,  Terre  Haute,  Miriam,  and 
Carlisle. 

Harmony  is  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  Wabash,  50  miles 
above  its  outlet,  and  is  the  seat  of  the  Harmonist  Society  before 
mentioned.  The  country  here  is  very  rich,  it  is  easy  to  raise  all 
the  necessaries  of  life,  and  by  vesting  surplus  labour  in  manufac- 
tured articles,  an  industrious  community  must  become  wealthy 
and  comfortable. 

Roads,  Canals,  and  Improvements. — The  same  regulation  exists 
here  as  in  Ohio  as  to  the  support  of  roads.  Several  roads  have 


JOHN  MELISH.  275 

been  made  through  the  state,  but  they  are  indifferent.  The 
national  road,  if  .extended,  will  pass  through  the  central  part  of 
this  state,  in  a  southwest  direction,  probably  touching  at  Indianap- 
olis, and  passing  into  the  state  of  Illinois  south  of  Terre  Haute. 
It  has  been  proposed  to  connect  the  navigation  of  the  Wabash 
with  St.  Mary's  River,  a  branch  of  the  Maumee,  and  in  a  law  of 
congress,  appropriating  a  portion  of  the  public  lands  for  internal 
improvements,  100,000  acres  were  assigned  to  forward  that 
object.  It  has  also  been  proposed  to  make  a  canal  round  the  falls 
of  Ohio  at  Jeffersoriville. 

Government  and  Laws. — The  constitution  of  Indiana  was 
adopted  in  1816,  and  is  Legislative,  Executive,  and  Judiciary.  The 
Legislative  branch  consists  of  a  Senate  and  House  of  Represen- 
tatives. The  senators  are  elect'ed  for  three  years,  and  must  be  25 
years  of  age;  the  representatives  must  be  21  years  of  age,  and  are 
elected  annually.  The  legislature  meet  on  the  first  Monday  of 
December.  The  Executive  is  vested  in  a  Governor  and  Lieutenant 
Governor,  who  are  elected  for  three  years,  and  are  eligible  six  out 
of  nine  years.  The  Judiciary  is  composed  of  a  supreme  court  and 
circuit  courts.  The  judges  of  the  supreme  court  are  appointed  by 
the  governor  for  three  years,  and  have  appellate  jurisdiction. 
The  circuit  courts  are  to  be  held  in  each  county  by  one  judge  and 
two  associates;  the  former  to  be  appointed  by  the  legislature  for 
seven  years,  and  the  latter  for  the  same  period  by  the  .people. 
The  elective  franchise  is  vested  in  all  free  white  males,  of  21  years 
and  upwards,  who  are  citizens  of  the  United  States. 

Education  and  Manners. — When  Indiana  was  admitted  into 
the  union,  the  same  law  extended  to  it  as  to  Ohio,  regarding  the 
support  of  schools;  and  an  entire  township  consisting  of  23,040 
acres  of  land  was  appropriated  for  the  support  of  a  college,  which 
is  fixed  at  Vincennes.  The  manners  of  the  people  are  pretty 
similar  to  those  of  Ohio. 


From  An  Excursion  through  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
1822-23,  by  an  English  gentleman,  (Capt.  Blaney) 
[1824],  pp.  139-156,  243-253. 

BLANEY,  WILLIAM  NEWNHAM. 

Captain  Blaney,  after  having  spent  several  years  in  traveling  throughout 
the  continent  of  Europe,  decided  to  make  a  tour  of  the  United  States.  He 
left  England  in  the  summer  of  1822,  landed  in  New  York  made  his  way  to 
Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  and  then  across  the  mountains  into  the  Ohio  valley. 
His  stay  in  Indiana,  although  limited,  was  attended  by  some  very  marked 
observations.  They  have  the  ring  of  candor  and  genuineness  in  them  not 
found  in  the  average  narrative.  Only  a  few  pages  are  here  inserted,  but  they 
are  full  of  interest  and  new  facts  are  found  on  almost  every  page. 

After  the  very  hard  frost,  which  came  on  just  as  I  left  Frank- 
fort, there  had  been  several  days'  rain,  the  usual  commence- 
ment of  winter  in  this  part  of  the  country.  The  roads  in  Indiana 
were  almost  impassable,  even  on  horseback.  The  day  after  I 
crossed  the  river,  the  frost  again  set  in;  and  the  roads  becoming 
worse,  I  could  with  difficulty  proceed  from  eighteen  to  twenty 
miles  between  sun-rise  and  sun-set;  having  to  walk  a  great  part 
of  the  way,  leading  my  horse  by  the  bridle.  The  frost  had  fol- 
lowed the  rain  so  immediately,  that  the  drops  were  frozen  on  all 
the  trees,  which  in  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun  appeared  loaded 
with  diamonds,  and  as  I  rode  through  the  forest,  put  me  in  mind 
of  the  gem-bearing  trees  in  the  beautiful  tale  of  Aladdin. 

At  Greenville,  a  collection  of  straggling  cabins,  I  stopped  at  a 
house  kept  by  a  Mr.  Porter,  a  man  from  the  New  England  States. 
This  tavern,  though  small,  was  without  exception  the  most  clean 
and  comfortable  I  had  ever  been  in  since  I  crossed  the  Alleghanies. 
Whenever  indeed  you  stop  at  the  house  of  a  New  Englander,  you 
are  certain  to  receive  more  attention,  and  to  find  every  thing 
cleaner  and  of  a  better  quality,  than  in  a  tavern  kept  by  a  South- 
ern or  Western  man. 

The  Western  Americans,  and  particularly  those  of  Indiana, 
are  more  rough  and  unpolished  in  their  manners  than  those  of 
any  country  I  ever  travelled  in. 

Occasionally,  after  a  long  day's  ride,  when  I  have  arrived 
cold  and  tired  at  the  house  where  I  intended  to  stop,  I  have  dis- 
mounted, walked  in,  and  upon  finding  the  master,  and  perhaps 
one  of  his  sons,  seated  by  the  fire,  I  have  addressed  him  with, 

(276) 


WILLIAM  NEWNHAM  BLANEY.  277 

"Sir,  can  I  stay  at  your  house  to-night,  and  have  some  supper  for 
mj'self  and  food  for  my  horse?"  and  then  he  has  just  turned  his 
head  round,  and  without  rising,  has  said,  "I  reckon  you  can." 
Upon  further  inquiry  where  I  could  put  my  horse,  my  host  has 
replied,  "There  is  a  stable  behind  the  house."  I  have  then  had 
to  rub  down  and  feed  my  own  horse. 

Those  who  have  not  tried  this  after  riding  all  day,  do  not  know 
how  disagreeable  it  is.  At  the  same  time,  I  am  certain  that  no 
kind  of  incivility  was  intended.  All  the  people  living  in  the 
same  neighbourhood  being  nearly  equal  in  point  of  wealth  and 
education  (with  little  enough  of  either),  are  not  accustomed  to 
show  one  another  any  attention,  and  therefore  extend  the  same 
want  of  ceremony  to  the  strangers  who  may  chance  to  come  to 
their  houses.  Besides,  in  these  wild  parts,  there  is  often  a  dis- 
tance of  ten  or  fifteen  miles  between  each  cabin,  even  on  the  chief 
roads;  and  off  the  roads,  a  person  might  travel  fifty  miles  without 
seeing  any  habitation  whatsoever.  A  man,  therefore,  who  receives 
a  traveller  in  his  house,  and  gives  him  a  bed  and  food,  considers 
with  justice,  that  he  confers  a  favour  on  his  guest,  even  though  he 
charge  some  trifle  for  his  hospitality.  For  let  any  one  imagine 
the  alternative  of  either  sleeping  out  in  a  cold  night,  without  any 
thing  to  eat,  or  of  staying  in  a  log  cabin,  by  a  good  blazing  fire, 
with  plenty  of  venison-steaks  and  corn-cake!  Surely  the  traveller 
must  acknowledge,  that  the  paying  about  the  value  of  eighteen- 
pence  or  two  shillings,  by  no  means  cancels  the  obligation  which  he 
owes  to  the  landlord. 

In  speaking  of  the  houses  at  which  I  stopped,  after  crossing 
the  Ohio,  I  make  use.  of  the  word  Tavern;  but  let  not  the  English 
reader  be  misled  by  a  word;  for  there  is  not  one  of  these  taverns 
that  deserves  to  be  compared  to  the  common  sort  of  our  public 
houses.  I  have  often  laughed  to  see,  fixed  upon  a  miserable  log 
cabin,  a  rough  Sign,  on  which  has  been  painted  " Washington 
Hotel",  or  some  such  high  sounding  name,  though  the  house  prob- 
ably contained  only  one,  or  at  most  only  two  rooms.  Generally 
however,  both  in  Illinois  and  Indiana,  there  is  no  Sign  at  all.  A 
traveller  enters  without  scruple  any  house  near  the  road  side, 
and  breakfasts,  or  stays  all  night,  even  if  the  owner  does  not  pro- 
fess to  keep  a  tavern :  for  every  one  is  glad  to  have  a  stranger  stop 
with  him,  as  it  gives  him  an  opportunity  of  hearing  some  news, 
and  also  brings  him  in  a  dollar  or  so,  if  he  chooses  to  accept 
any  thing  for  his  hospitality. 

Owing  to  the^great  rise  of  the  water,  I  found  some  difficulty 


278  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

in  crossing  Blue  River,  over  which  there  was  neither  bridge  nor 
ferry;  and  though  swimming  on  horseback  is  not  unpleasant  in 
warm  weather,  I  do  not  myself  think  it  particularly  agreeable  dur- 
ing a  hard  frost.-  But  I  fortunately  discovered  some  men  with  a 
canoe,  in  which  I  crossed  over,  taking  off  my  saddle  and  saddle 
bags,  and  obliging  my  horse  to  swim. 

Near  this  are  some  pretty  extensive  "Barrens."  The  Ameri- 
cans apply  this  term  to  those  tracts  of  land,  which,  being  cov- 
ered with  low  shrubs  and  brushwood,  much  resemble  what  we  call 
in  England  "Copses."  The  country  beyond  Blue  River,  is  cov- 
ered for  the  most  part  with  thick  forest.  This  growrs  upon  a  lime- 
stone formation;  and  in  consequence,  the  whole  country  abounds 
with  pits  and  caverns,  some  of  which  are  of  considerable  magni- 
tude. From  these  caverns  great  quantities  of  salt-petre  have  been 
obtained. 

I  now  came  to  a  large  stream,  called  "Sinking  River,"  which 
flows  under  ground  for  the  distance  of  nearly  ten  miles.  When 
there  has  been  a  very  heavy  fall  of  rain,  and  the  water  cannot 
find  room  to  pass  under  ground,  the  overplus  runs  in  a  channel 
above,  and  joins  the  river  again  where  it  rises  from  the  earth. 
This  upper  channel  by  no  means  follows  the  course  of  the  sub- 
terraneous one. 

The  road  passes  over  the  upper  channel,  which  is  pretty  deep, 
and  which,  in  spite  of  the  quantity  of  rain  which  had  fallen  only 
five  or  six  days  before,  was,  when  I  crossed  it,  nearly  dry. 

A  few  miles  from  Mr.  Byrom's,  at  a  place  called  French  Lick, 
is  a  very  large  pigeon  roost.  Several  acres  of  timber  are  completely 
destroyed,  the  branches,  even  of  the  thickness  of  a  man's  body, 
being  torn  off  by  the  myriads  of  pigeons  that  settle  on  them. 
Indeed,  the  first  time  I  saw  a  flight  of  these  birds,  I  really  thought 
that  all  the  pigeons  in  the  world  had  assembled  together,  to  make 
one  common  emigration.  These  pigeons  do  a  great  deal  of  mis- 
chief; for  as  they  clear  immense  tracts  of  forest,  of  all  the  mast, 
acorns,  &c.  numbers  of  the  hogs,  which  run  at  large  in  the  woods, 
are  in  consequence  starved  to  death. 

When  crossing  a  small  stream,  the  day  after  leaving  Byrom's, 
I  saw  a  large  flock  of  beautiful  green  and  yellow  parroquets. 
, These  were  the  first  I  had  met  with;  and  as  they  were  very  tame, 
and  allowed  me  to  come  close  to  them,  I  got  off  my  horse,  and 
stopped' a  short  time  to  admire  them.  I  afterwards  saw  numbers 
of  the  same  kind  in  the  flats  of  the  Wabash  and  Mississippi,  for 


WILLIAM  NEWNHAM  BLANEY.  279 

this  beautiful  bird  apparently  delights  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
streams. 

Before  arriving  at  Hindostan,  a  small  village  on  the  East 
Fork  of  White  River,  the  country  becomes  very  hilly;  and  being  on 
that  account  thinly  settled,  abounds  with  game  of  all  descriptions. 
Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  abundance  of  it,  from  the  price 
of  venison  at  this  place,  and  in  the  neighbourhood.  A  haunch  will 
bring  only  20  cents  (about  Is.  9rf.  sterling),  or  the  value  of  25 
cents,  if  the  hunter  will  take  powder,  lead,  or  goods.  The  shop- 
keepers who  buy  the  haunches,  the  only  parts  of  the  deer  that  are 
thought  wrorth  selling,  cure  and  dry  them  much  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  the  Scotch  do  their  mutton  hams,  and  then  send  them  for 
sale  to  Lousiville  or  New  Orleans.  These  dried  venison  hams,  as 
they  are  called,  are  very  good  eating. 

The  two  young  men  who  ferried  me  over  the  river,  had  just 
returned  from  a  hunting  excursion.  They  had  only  been  out  two 
days;  and  not  to  mention  a  great  number  of  turkeys,  had  killed 
sixteen  deer  and  two  bears,  besides  wounding  several  others. 
The  bear  is  much  more  esteemed  than  the  deer;  first,  because  his 
flesh  sells  at  a  higher  price;  and  secondly,  because  his  skin,  if  a 
fine  large  black  one,  is  worth  two  or  three  dollars. 

I  was  stopped  for  three  days  at  the  West  Fork  of  White  River, 
owing  to  the  ice,  which  was  of  such  a  thickness,  and  came  down  the 
stream  with  such  rapidity,  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  ferry- 
boat to  cross. 

In  these  thinly  settled  countries,  if  a  traveller  be  detained,  or 
if  he  wish  to  stop  a  day  or  two  to  rest  his  horse,  he  can,  if  either  a 
sportsman  or  a  naturalist,  find  abundant  amusement.  Go  to 
what  house  I  might,  the  people  were  always  ready  to  lend  me 
a  rifle,  and  were  in  general  glad  to  accompany  me  when  I  went  out 
hunting.  Hence,  in  addition  to  the  pleasure  of  the  chase,  I  had, 
at  the  same  time,  an  opportunity  of  becoming  better  acquainted 
with  the  manners  of  the  Backwoodsmen,  and  with  the  difficulties 
and  hardships  which  are  undergone  by  all  the  first  settlers  of  a  new 
country.  I  found  I  had  imbibed  the  most  erroneous  ideas,  from 
seeing  none  of  the  inhabitants,  but  those  wrho,  living  by  the  road 
side,  were  accustomed  to  receive  money  from  travellers,  and  some- 
times to  charge  as  much  for  their  coarse  fare,  and  wretched  accom- 
modations, as  would  be  paid  in  the  Eastern  States  for  the  utmost 
comfort  a  tavern  can  afford.  I  therefore  considered  all  the  people 
a  sordid  and  imposing  set.  But  when  I  began  to  enter  into  the 
company  of  the  Backwoodsmen,  quite  off  the  roads,  and  where  a 


280  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

traveller  was  seldom  or  never  seen,  I  found  the  character  of  the 
settlers  quite  different  from  what  I  had  supposed.  In  general 
they  were  open  hearted  and  hospitable,  giving  freely  whatever 
they  had,  and  often  refusing  any  recompense.  It  is  true  they 
always  treated  me  as  their  equal;  but  at  the  same  time,  there  was 
a  sort  of  real  civility  in  their  behaviour,  which  I  have  often  looked 
for  in  vain  elsewhere. 

In  the  Backwoods,  pork,  or  as  they  call  it  hogs-flesh,  together 
with  venison  and  hommony  (boiled  Indian  corn),  was  my  usual 
fare,  and  a  blanket  or  two,  on  the  floor  of  the  cabin,  my  bed; 
but  I  was  amply  compensated  for  this  want  of  luxuries  by  a  degree 
of  openness  and  hospitality,  which  indeed  the  most  fastidious 
could  not  but  have  admired.  Thus,  on  going  away,  my  host  has 
sometimes  accompanied  me  four  or  five  miles,  in  order  to  put  me 
in  the  track  leading  to  the  road. 

But  notwithstanding  the  instances  of  good-heartedness,  and 
simplicity  of  manners,  which  one -meets  with  in  these  wild  coun- 
tries, yet  few  travellers  are  willing  to  quit  the  more  frequented 
districts;  and  it  is  to  this  want  of  self-denial,  that  I  should  be  dis- 
posed to  attribute  the  erroneous  accounts  of  the  American  char- 
acter which  have  been  given  us.  Some  of  our  travellers  moreover, 
are  in  the  practice  of  detailing  all  the  disagreeable  scenes  of  low 
life,  which  they  have  witnessed  at  the  taverns,  and  hence  lead 
their  readers  to  form  a  very  incorrect  idea  of  the  whole  people. 
If  an  American  traveller  in  England  were  to  do  the  same,  he  would 
have  no  difficulty,  in  proving  us  the  most  profligate,  immoral,  and 
cheating  nation  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 

After  waiting  in  vain  two  days  for  the  river  to  freeze  over,  so 
that  I  could  pass  on  horseback,  I  at  last  hired  two  or  three  men, 
armed  with  poles,  to  assist  in  keeping  off  the  cakes  of  ice;  and  thus 
succeeded  in  crossing,  notwithstanding  the  width  and  rapidity 
of  the  river. 

Between  the  White  River  and  Vincennes  is  a  large  swamp,  inter- 
sected by  a  small  stream.  Over  this  swamp,  for  the  distance 
of  two  miles,  is  a  piece  of  what  the  Western  people  very  expressively 
term  a  "Corderoy  Road,"  which  is  very  common  in  these  States, 
and  is  made  wherever  the  ground  is  marshy. 

A  Corderoy  Road  consists  of  small  trees,  stripped  of  their 
boughs,  and  laid  touching  one  another,  without  any  covering  of 
earth.  As  the  marsh  underneath  is  of  various  degrees  of  solidity, 
the  whole  road  assumes  a  kind  of  undulating  appearance.  I 
found  some  of  the  logs  a  little  apart  from  one  another;  and  was 


WILLIAM  NEWNHAM  BLANEY.  281 

therefore  constantly  afraid,  that  the  animal  that  carried  me  would 
break  his  leg;  but  he  was  a  Western  horse,  and  by  the  manner  in 
which  he  picked  his  way,  showed  that  he  knew  the  danger  as 
well  or  better  than  I  did.  Any  one  crossing  these  logs  in  a  wheeled 
carriage,  must  find  the  jolting  truly  formidable. 

Vincennes  is  a  small  straggling  place,  situated  on  the  bank 
of  the  Wabash,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  the  United  States. 
It  was  founded  by  the  French,  the  same  year  that  William  Penn 
founded  Philadelphia;  and  was,  for  a  long  time,  partly  a  French, 
and  partly  an  Indian  village.  It  once  supplied  all  the  neighbour- 
ing country  for  a  very  great  distance  around,  with  goods  and 
merchandize;  but  is  now  declining,  partly  from  having  lost  its 
superioritjr  as  a  depot  for  goods,  and  partly  from  the  unhealthiness 
of  its  situation.  I  have  scarcely  been  to  a  single  spot  on  the  west- 
ern side  of  the  Ohio,  where,  during  the  autumn  of  1822,  the  people 
had  not  suffered  from  sickness. 

The  Wabash  is  a  beautiful  river,  which,  after  a  meandering 
course  of  about  600  miles,  enters  the  Ohio  in  a  stream  about  400 
yards  wide,  140  miles  from  the  confluence,  of  that  river  with  the 
Mississippi.  It  may  be  considered  as  the  largest  tributary  stream 
that  joins  the  Ohio  from  the  west.  Its  own  principal  tributaries 
are  White  River,  Little  Wabash,  Embarrass,  Big  and  Little  Eel 
Rivers,  Tree  Creek,  Ponce  Passau,  or  Wildcat,  Tippecanoe,  and 
Massissiniway. 

The  Wabash  flows  through  a  rich  and  level  country,  which  is 
well  adapted  to  cultivation,  and  in  which  cotton  has  of  late  been 
raised  successfully. 

On  the  Wabash  are  the  towns  of  Harmony,  Vincennes,  and 
Terre-haute,  besides  several  others,  which,  having  only  been  lately 
erected,  contain  as  yet  few  inhabitants. 

This  river  forms,  for  a  considerable  distance,  the  boundary 
between  Indiana  and  Illinois.  During  the  spring  of  the  year,  it 
is  easily  navigated  by  flat  boats,  as  far  as  450  miles  from  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Ohio;  and  craft  drawing  only  two  or  three  feet 
water,  may  ascend  it  as  far  as  Vincennes  at  almost  any  season. 

It  is  not  till  the  traveller  has  crossed  the  Wabash,  and  advanced 
a  considerable  distance  into  the  State  of  Illinois,  that  he  can  see 
any  of  the  large  "Prairies,"  of  which  there  are  many  fertile  ones 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  river.  These  Prairies,  as  their  name 
denotes,  are  large  open  tracts  of  natural  meadow,  covered  with 
luxuriant  and  rank  grass,  and  destitute  of  trees  or  even  shrubs. 


282  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

There  are  no  hills  in  them,  though  some  have  a  gently  undulating 
surface. 

I  intended  to  have  remained  a  few  days  at  Vincennes,  but 
the  following  circumstance  drove  me  away  the  next  morning. 

A  Missouri  planter,  attended  by  two  slaves,  a  man  and  woman, 
was  travelling  to  St.  Louis,  in  a  small  wheeled  carriage  called  a 
"Dearborn,"  and  had  stopped  at  Vincennes  to  rest  his  horses. 
Now  the  day  before  I  arrived,  both  his  slaves  had  run  away. 
Trying  to  travel  all  night  when  nearly  barefooted,  the  man  had 
both  his  feet  so  severely  frost  bitten,  that  he  could. not  proceed. 
Consequently  he  was  overtaken  by  some  people  sent  after  him  by 
his  master,  and  was  brought  back  to  Vincennes  the  very  even- 
ing after  my  arrival.  When  I  got  up  early  the  next  morning,  I 
saw  the  poor  old  slave,  who  had  passed  the  night  in  the  kitchen, 
with  a  heavy  chain  padlocked  round  both  his  legs.  A  man  from 
North  Carolina,  who  had  ridden  in  company  with  me  from  White 
River,  where  he  had  been  delayed,  came  into  the  room  at  the 
same  time  I  did ;  and,  although  a  slave  holder  himself,  was  touched 
with  compassion  at  seeing  the  miserable  state  of  this  old  negro. 
Having  procured  the  key,  he  took  off  one  of  the  padlocks,  and 
desired  the  unhappy  being  to  come  towards  the  fire,  in  order  to 
warm  his  frost-bitten  legs  and  feet,  which  were  much  swollen, 
and  were  no  doubt  very  painful.  The  poor  slave  was  so  lame  he 
could  hardly  move,  but  managed  to  come  and  sit  down  by  the 
hearth.  The  Carolinian  then  said  to  him,  "You  have  com- 
mitted a  great  crime,  as  you  must  be  well  aware — how  came  you 
to  do  it?"  The  negro  replied,  "Master,  I  am  an  old  man,  upwards 
of  sixty  years  of  age,  and  I  have  been  all  my  life  in  bondage.  Sev- 
eral white  men  told  me,  that  as  this  was  a  free  State,  if  I  could 
run  away  I  should  be  free;  and  you  know  master!  what  a  tempta- 
tion that  was.  I  thought  if  I  could  spend  my  few  remaining  days 
in  freedom,  I  should  die  happy."  But,  replied  the  Carolinian, 
"You  were  a  fool  to  run  away;  you  know  you  are  much  better  off 
as  a  slave,  than  if  you  were  free."  "Ah!  master,"  said  the  poor 
old  negro,  "No  one  knows  where  the  shoe  pinches,  but  he  who 
wears  it." 

Just  at  this  time,  in  came  the  master  of  the  slave,  and  after 
swearing  a  terrible  oath  that  he  would  punish  him,  desired  him  to 
go  and  get  ready  the  carriage.  The  poor  old  man  answered  that 
he  was  in  too  great  pain  even  to  stand  upright.  Upon  this  the 
brute,  saying,  "I  will  make  you  move,  you  old  rascal,"  sent  out  for 
a  "cowhide."  Now  the  sort  of  whip  called  by  this  name  is  the  most 


WILLIAM  NEWNHAM  BLANEY.  283 

formidable  one  I  ever  saw.  It  is  made  of  twisted  strips  of  dried 
cow's  skin;  and  from  its  weight,  its  elasticity,  and  the  spiral  form 
in  which  the  thongs  are  twisted,  must,  when  applied  to  the  bare 
back,  inflict  the  most  intolerable  torture. 

The  wife  of  the  tavern  keeper  coming  in,  and  hearing  that  the 
negro  was  going  to  be  flogged,  merely  said,  "I  would  rather  it  had 
not  been  on  the  Sabbath."  For  my  part,  I  thought  it  signified 
very  little  upon  what  day  of  the  week,  such  an  atrocious  act  of 
wickedness  was  committed;  so  after  trying  in  vain  to  obtain  a 
relaxation  of  the  punishment,  I  called  for  my  horse,  determined  not 
to  hear  the  cries  of  the  suffering  old  man.  Yet  even  when  I  had 
ridden  far  from  the  town,  my  imagination  still  pictured  to  me  the 
horrors  that  were  then  being  performed;  and  I  should  have  thought 
myself  deficient  in  human  kindness,  if  I  had  not  cursed  from  the 
bottom  of  my  heart,  every  government,  that,  by  tolerating  slavery, 
could  sanction  a  scene  like  this. 

BIRKBECK'S  SETTLEMENT. — EMIGRATION. 

From  Vincennes,  I  turned  to  the  left,  in  order  to  cross  White 
River,  below  the  junction  of  its  two  Forks,  and  proceed  through 
Princetown  and  Harmony,  to  Birkbeck's  English  settlement  at 
Albion. 

The  road,  or  rather  path,  to  the  ferry  on  White  River,  runs 
chiefly  through  low  flat  Barrens,  with  here  and  there  a  patch  of 
Prairie.  Upon  arriving  at  the  bank,  I  found  the  ice  running  so 
thick,  and  in  such  very  large  cakes,  that  the  boat  could  not  cross. 
Some  men  with  a  drove  of  hogs  had  already  waited  there  two 
days,  and  the  ferryman  said  that  I  had  very  little  chance  of  being 
able  to  cross  for  a  day  or  two,  and  perhaps  not  for  a  week.  I 
therefore  determined  to  cross  the  country,  in  a  westerly  direction, 
so  as  to  meet  the  Wabash  just  above  its  junction  with  White 
River. 

Upon  inquiring  of  the  ferrymen,  if  there  were  any  house  in 
the  neighbourhood  at  which  I  could  stop,  they  informed  me  that 
there  was  only  one,  which  belonged  to  a  Scotch  gentleman  who 
had  lately  settled  in  this  part  of  the  country.  "But  although," 
said  one  of  them,  "I  am  certain  he  does  not  keep  open  house,  yet 
perhaps  as  you  are  a  stranger,  he  will  allow  you  to  stay  there 
tonight." 

As  it  was  getting  late  I  determined  to  lose  no  time,  and  accord- 
ingly, after  a  ride  through  the  woods  of  about  two  miles,  I  found 
myself  at  the  settlement. 


284  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

The  house,  which  was  of  a  much  better  description  than  any  I 
had  lately  seen,  was  situated  on  a  gentle  rise,  overlooking  the  river, 
and  surrounded  with  a  large  space  of  cleared  land.  I  dismounted, 
and  upon  opening  the  door  was  delighted  to  see  six  or  seven  men  in 
Highland  bonnets,  sitting  round  a  blazing  fire.  I  mentioned  to  the 
gentleman  that  I  was  a  stranger,  and  should  feel  much  obliged  to 
him,  for  a  night's  lodging  for  myself  and  my  horse;  upon  which  he 
immediately,  with  the  genuine  hospitality  I  have  so  often  experi- 
enced in  his  native  land,  said  that  I  was  welcome  to  stay  there,  and 
to  partake  of  whatever  his  house  afforded. 

He  had  left  Perthshire  at  the  head  of  twenty  of  his  coun- 
trymen, and  had  fixed  himself  on  this  spot;  and  although  he  had 
only  been  here  eight  months,  had  already  put  every  thing  into 
very  good  order. 

My  fare  was  sumptuous,  compared  to  what  it  had  been  for 
some  time  past;  and  moreover  I  had  a  good  bed  to  sleep  in,  with  a 
pair  of  fine  clean  sheets. 

I  am  particular  in  noticing  this  luxury,  because  it  was  only  in 
two  other  places  that  I  enjoyed  it,  during  the  whole  of  my  travels, 
in  the  States  of  Indiana,  Illinois,  and  Missouri.  In  general  the 
beds  were  altogether  without  sheets:  and  the  blankets  had  prob- 
ably, since  their  manufacture,  never  experienced  the  renovating 
effects  of  a  good  washing.  Sometimes  indeed  there  would  be  one 
sheet,  and  occasionally  two;  but  cleanliness  in  this  particular  I 
had  almost  despaired  of. 

Many  of  my  countrymen,  because  they  have  not  met  with 
much  comfort  in  these  out  of  the  way  places,  have,  upon  their 
return  home,  most  unjustly  and  ridiculously  imputed  the  same 
want  of  comfort  to  every  part  of  the  United  States.  But  let  us 
consider,  that  from  Vincennes  to  Louisville  is  a  distance  of  120 
miles,  and  that  from  thence  to  Washington,  by  the  ordinary  route 
up  the  Ohio  river  and  through  Wheeling  is  731  miles:  so  that  one 
of  these  delicate  travellers  would  be  equally  entitled  to  abuse  the 
whole  of  Great  Britain,  because  he  might  meet  with  bad  accom- 
modation in  the  Orkneys.  Moreover,  woods  are  not  cut  down, 
and  good  inns  established,  in  a  day,  nor  even  a  year;  and  he  who 
cannot  put  up  with  some  inconvenience  will  do  well  to  avoid  travel- 
ling in  a  new  country.* 

This  settlement  is  in  a  beautiful  situation,  surrounded  by  fertile 

*In  many  places  where  I  have  met  with  execrable  accommodation,  future  travellers 
will  find  good  inns:  for  the  whole  country  is  so  rapidly  improving,  that  what  is  true  of 
the  Backwoods  one  year  ceases  to  be  so  the  next. 


WILLIAM  NEWNHAM  BLANEY.  285 

land;  but  alas!  it  has  shared  the  fate  of  all  the  neighbourhood  with 
regard  to  sickness;  two  of  the  emigrants  having  died,  and  several 
others  being  very  ill.  I  went  away  in  the  morning,  after  receiv- 
ing an  invitation  from  my  worthy  host  to  repeat  my  visit  if  I 
should  ever  pass  again  in  that  direction. 

The  path  from  hence  to  the  Wabash,  lies  through  a  thickly 
wooded  country,  abounding  in  game.  I  expected  to  have  had  much 
difficulty  in  crossing  the  river;  for  though  there  was  a  ferry  boat,  it 
had  been  drawn  ashore  and  was  frozen  to  the  ground.  Fortu- 
nately, however,  I  found  a  man  going  over  in  a  flat  boat  with  some 
cattle.  The  Wabash  just  above  had  closed  up  and  frozen  over,  so 
that  here,  where  the  stream  was  very  rapid,  there  was  little  or  no 
floating  ice. 

I  now  crossed  the  Little  Wabash,  on  which  river  Carmi  is 
situated,  and  proceeded  through  a  very  thickly  wooded  country 
towards  Harmony.  The  road,  about  four  miles  before  arriving  at 
this  place,  passes  through  the  low  grounds,  or  as  they  are  called, 
"the  Flats"  of  the  Big  Wabash.  The  lands  of  the  river  bottoms,  or 
flats,  throughout  the  whole  of  the  United  States,  are  always  reck- 
oned very  rich  and  productive,  and  those  of  the  Wabash  are  partic- 
ularly so.  They  are  covered  with  immensely  large  trees,  between 
which  grows,  in  amazing  luxuriance,  that  noble  vegetable  the 
Cane  (Arundinaria  Macrosperma). 

This  beautiful  and  useful  plant  attains  the  height  of  from 
twenty  to  thirty  feet.  The  fertile  tracts,  where  it  grows,  are  called 
Cane  Brakes,  and  are  always  full  of  herds  of  cattle,  who  are  very 
fond  of  its  leaves,  which  remain  green  all  the  winter. 

The  low  grounds  of  the  Wabash  would  be  thickly  settled,  and 
soon  covered  with  a  swarming  population ;  but  during  a  month  or 
two  in  the  Autumn,  Fevers  and  Agues  seem  to  stalk  about  here, 
seeking  whom  they  may  destroy.  Indeed  the  countenances  of  the 
few  settlers  bespeak  how  often  they  have  been  attacked  by  these 
diseases.  Where  the  ground  has  been  cleared  for  any  consider- 
able space,  the  sickness  does  not  prevail  to  such  an  extent.  This 
is  the  case  with  the  settlement  of  Harmony;  but,  even  there,  the 
inhabitants  had  in  the  autumn  suffered  a  great  deal. 

The  trees  growing  immediately  on  the  banks  of  the  Wabash, 
must,  from  their  immense  size,  astonish  every  one.  The  Plane, 
with  its  long  white  arms,  and  the  Tulip-tree  (Liriodendron  Tulipi- 
fera)  called  by  the  Americans  the  Poplar,  attain  to  an  enormous 
magnitude  throughout  the  whole  of  the  Western  States. 

There  is  a  ferry  which  conveys  the  traveller  directly  over  the 


286  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Wabash  to  Harmony.  This  pretty  little  town  contains  numerous 
well  built,  three-storied,  brick  houses,  placed  in  regular  streets, 
with  a  small  railed  garden  to  each,  all  conveying  a  great  idea  of 
comfort,  particularly  to  a  man  travelling  in  the  Backwoods. 
There  are  two  churches  with  spires,  on  one  of  which  is  a  clock, 
made  by  a  settler,  which  strikes,  even  the  quarters,  upon  some  large 
bells  that  were  imported  on  purpose.  I  had  been  so  long  without 
hearing  anything  of  the  kind,  that  during  the  week  I  remained 
there,  the  lively  tones  of  these  bells  gave  me  great  delight. 

Mr.  Rapp,  the  founder  of  the  Society,  was  a  dissenter  from 
the  Lutheran  church,  and  finding  himself  persecuted  by  the  clergy 
and  the  nobles,  for  the  tenets  he  promulgated,  came  in  1803,  from 
near  Stutgard  in  Wurtemburg,  to  the  United  States,  with  nearly 
400  adherents.  They  first  settled  at  a  place  they  called  Harmony, 
in  Butler  county  Pennsylvania,  25  miles  from  Pittsburg.  Here 
their  number  was  soon  increased  by  emigration  to  near  800  souls, 
but  not  finding  Pennsylvania  in  all  respects  suited  to  their  views, 
they  sent  in  1814,  three  of  their  head  men  to  choose  another 
place.  Accordingly,  they  have  now  fixed  their  residence  55  miles 
from  Vincennes,  40  from  Shawnee  town,  24  from  Birkbeck's 
Settlement,  and  100  by  water  from  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash. 

By  the  sale  of  their  houses,  their  improvements,  &c.  in  Penn- 
sylvania, they  obtained  a  very  large  sum  of  money,  and  with  this 
they  purchased  several  thousand  acres  of  the  best  land  in  Indiana. 
Upon  arriving  at  their  present  abode,  they  erected  log-cabins; 
but  as  they  intended  from  the  first  to  built  brick  houses,  they 
marked  out  very  carefully  and  with  much  regularity  the  intended 
streets  of  their  town,  and  by  placing  the  log-cabins  at  the  back 
part  of  the  different  lots,  left  themselves  sufficient  space  to  erect 
their  future  habitations,  without  being  obliged  to  move  out  of 
their  old  ones. 

They  have  indeed  proceeded  in  every  thing  with  the  greatest 
order  and  regularity.  They  possessed  when  I  was  there  100 
brick  buildings,  had  planted  an  extensive  vineyard,  and  made  con- 
siderable quantitities  of  pleasant  tasted  wine.  They  carried  on  a 
very  extensive  system  of  agriculture,  and  their  flocks  and  herds 
were  uncommonly  numerous.  There  is  a  blacksmith's  shop  with 
two  furnaces,  a  thrashing  machine,  a  distillery,  brewery,  tannery, 
&c.  There  is  also  a  large  woolen  and  cotton-factory,  the  spindles 
and  machinery  of  which  are  worked  by  steam,  as  is  also  their  mill 
for  grinding  flour.  Indeed  they  carry  on  almost  every  kind  of  use- 
ful manufacture,  and  make  hats,  shoes,  sadlery,  linen,  cotton  and 


WILLIAM  NEWNHAM  BLANEY.  287 

woolen  cloths,  &c.  Their  broad  cloth  is  very  good;  and  their  flan- 
nel of  so  excellent  a  quality,  many  of  the  English  settlers  at 
Albion  say,  that  it  is  superior  to  the  best  Welsh  flannel  they 
brought  out  with  them.  Every  one  belongs  to  some  particular 
trade  or  employment,  and  never  interferes  with  the  others,  or 
even  indeed  knows  what  they  are  about.  The  only  occasion  on 
which  thej-  are  all  called  out,  is  in  the  event  of  sudden  bad  weather, 
when  the  hay  or  corn  is  cut,  but  not  carried.  In  such  a  case,  Rapp 
blows  a  horn,  and  the  whole  community,  both  men  and  women, 
leave  their  occupations,  run  out  to  the  fields,  and  the  crop  is  soon 
gathered  in,  or  placed  in  safety.  There  is  a  party  of  blacksmiths, 
shoemakers,  weavers,  shepherds,  ploughmen  or  agriculturists, 
&c.  Over  every  one  of  these  trades  there  is  a  head  man,  who  acts 
as  an  overseer,  and  who,  in  particular  cases,  as  with  the  black- 
smith, shoemaker,  &c.,  receives  payment  for  any  work  done  for 
strangers.  None  of  the  inferiors  of  each  occupation  will  receive 
the  money.  The  head  man,  or  foreman,  always  gives  a  receipt 
for  the  money  he  receives,  which  receipt  is  signed  by  Rapp,  who 
thus  knows  every  cent  that  is  taken,  and  to  whom  all  the  money 
collected  is  transferred.  When  any  one  of  their  number  wants  a 
hat,  coat,  or  any  thing  else,  he  applies  to  the  head  man  of  his 
trade  or  employment,  who  gives  him  an  order,  which  is  also  signed 
by  Rapp,  after  which  he  goes  to  the  store  and  gets  what  he 
wants. 

They  have  one  large  store,  in  which  is  deposited  all  the 
articles  they  manufacture.  The  neighbouring  settlers  for  many 
miles  round,  resort  to  this,  not  only  on  account  of  the  excellence, 
but  also  the  cheapness  of  the  goods.  This  store  is  managed  by 
Mr.  Baker,  who  holds  the  next  rank  to  Rapp  himself.  The  Har- 
monites  have  also  branch  stores  in  Shawnee  town,  and  elsewhere, 
which  they  supply  with  goods,  and  which  are  managed  by  their 
agents. 

An  excellent  house  of  private  entertainment  is  kept  by  one  of 
their  number,  named  Ekensperker.  Every  thing  here  was  so 
clean,  comfortable,  and  well  arranged,  that  I  was  quite  delighted. 

The  house  they  have  built  for  their  founder  Rapp,  is  very 
large  and  handsome,  and  would  be  esteemed  a  good  house  in  any 
part  of  Europe.  In  the  court-yard,  Rapp  has  placed  a  great 
curiosity,  which  he  brought  from  the  shore  of  the  Mississippi,  near 
St.  Louis.  It  is  a  block  of  marble  of  the  size  of  a  large  tombstone, 
on  which  are  two  impressions  of  the  human  foot,  so  uncom- 


\ 

288  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

monly  well  defined,  perfect,  and  natural  as  to  be  worthy  even  of 
Canova. 

The  Indians  certainly  could  not  have  executed  anything  of 
the  kind ;  and  the  general  opinion  is,  that  some  human  being  must 
have  passed  over  the  marble  when  it  was  of  the  consistency  of 
clay,  and  thus  have  left  the  impression  of  his  feet.  The  impres- 
sions indeed  appear  to  have  been  made  by  some  one  who  was 
running,  or  else  stooping  forward  to  pick  up  something.  But  I 
can  hardly  myself  imagine,  how  or  where  a  piece  of  marble  could 
ever  have  been  in  so  soft  a  state,  as  to  receive  the  impression  of  a 
human  foot.  I  hope  that  the  marble  will  soon  be  inspected  by  some 
one  competent  to  give  an  opinion,  particularly  as  the  impres- 
sions may  at  no  great  length  of  time  be  effaced,  from  being 
always  left  exposed  to  the  weather. 

The  religious  tenets  of  the  Harmonites  are  not  very  well 
known;  but  it  is  at  any  rate  certain  that  they  profess  equality  and 
the  community  of  possessions.  The  most  extraordinary  part  of 
their  system  is  their  celibacy;  for  the  men  and  women  live  sep- 
arate, and  are  not  allowed  any  intercourse.  In  order  to  keep  up 
their  numbers  they  have  once  or  twice  sent  agents  to  Germany 
to  bring  over  proselytes,  for  they  admit  no  Americans.  Among 
those  that  last  came  over,  were  great  many  children  of  both 
sexes. 

Very  few  of  the  inhabitants  of  Harmony  could  speak  English, 
and  indeed  the  young  boys  and  girls  are  chiefly  educated  in  the 
German  tongue.  The  policy  of  the  head  men  appears  to  be,  that 
of  preventing,  as  much  as  possible,  any  of  their  inferiors  from 
communicating  with  the  Americans,  fearing  no  doubt,  that  they 
would  see  the  folly  of  their  system. 

What  struck  me  as  very  singular  was,  that  no  one  would  answer 
any  questions.  Even  my  host  Ekensperker,  when  I  asked  if  they 
were  permitted  to  marry,  what  became  of  all  the  money  they  col- 
lected, &c.,  invariably  replied,  "We  never  answer  these  ques- 
tions." Some  few  persons  have  seceded  from  this  society.  These 
have  generally  been  young  men,  who  sacrificing  fanaticism  to 
nature,  have  gone  off  with  young  women  and  married  them. 
By  good  fortune  I  chanced  to  meet  one  of  these  men,  and  learned 
from  him  a  few  particulars  of  the  sect;  but  even  he  did  not  appear 
to  be  very  willing  to  communicate  what  he  knew.  He  told  me  that 
marriage  was  interdicted;  but  could  give  me  no  reason  why  it 
was.  Moreover  he  told  me,  that  it  is  unknown  what  becomes  of 
all  the  money  Rapp  receives.  Now  this  must  be  a  very  con- 


WILLIAM  NEWNHAM  BLANEY.  289 

siderable  sum,  as  the  Harmonites  neglect  no  means  of  amassing 
money.  For  instance,  they  send  every  year  boats  laden  with  pro- 
duce to  New  Orleans;  and  the  little  settlement  of  Albion  has  paid 
them  altogether  nearly  60,000  dollars,  though  at  present  it  is 
rapidly  becoming  independent  of  them. 

The  Harmonites  will  receive  in  payment  no  other  money  but 
specie  or  United  States  Bank  notes.  At  the  same  time  they  expend 
nothing;  and  indeed  money  appears  to  be  of  no  use  to  men,  pro- 
ducing food,  and  manufacturing  all  necessaries  within  their  own 
settlement.  Every  thing  is  sold  in  Rapp's  name,  and  all  the 
money  is  transmitted  to  him,  even  the  proceeds  of  the  house  of 
entertainment  and  the  doctor's  shop. 

This  secrecy  about  the  great  sums  that  must  be  collected 
annually  by  the  united  labour  of  seven  or  eight  hundred  indus- 
trious individuals,  possessed  of  a  great  deal  of  skill,  and  having 
the  entire  monopoly  of  the  neighbouring  country,  has,  I  must 
confess,  a  very  suspicious  appearance,  especially  as  Rapp  holds  a 
correspondence  with  Germany.  At  the  same  time,  as  he  is  an  old 
man,  and  never  intends  to  leave  Harmony,  I  do  not  see  any  thing 
he  could  gain  by  sending  away  the  money. 

The  Harmonites  all  dress  very  plainly  and  wear  nearly  the 
same  clothes;  but  Rapp  and  the  head  men  live  in  better  houses, 
and  have  plenty  of  wine,  beer,  groceries,  &c.;  while  the  rest  of 
their  brethren  are  limited  to  coarse,  though  wholesome  food,  are 
debarred  the  use  of  groceries,  &c.,  have  a  less  quantity  of  meat, 
and  are  even  obliged  to  make  use  of  an  inferior  kind  of  flour. 

In  their  celibacy,  and  in  some  other  points,  they  resemble  the 
Shakers,  though  they  differ  from  them  in  refusing  to  admit  pros- 
elytes. They  are  in  fact  only  a  somewhat  improved  order  of 
industrious  monks  and  nuns,  except  that  they  are  very  unwill- 
ing to  have  any  thing  known  about  themselves,  and  are  by  no 
means  anxious  to  make  converts.  If  they  spoke  English,  and 
were  allowed  a  free  intercourse  with  the  Americans,  they  would 
soon  learn,  that  with  the  same  habits  of  temperance,  industry, 
and  economy,  they  could  in  that  rich  and  fertile  district  have  every 
comfort  they  at  present  enjoy,  with  the  additional  satisfaction  of 
amassing  money  for  themselves,  and  of  having  children  who  would 
doubtless  rise  to  opulence  and  consideration. 

At  present  however  Rapp  points  out  to  them  the  difference 
between  their  situation  and  that  of  the  Backwoodsmen  in  the 
neighbourhood,  leaving  them  to  suppose,  that  this  superiority  is 
owing  to  their  peculiar  tenets  and  mode  of  life.  Moreover,  as  I  am 

T — 19 


290  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

informed.  Rapp,  like  all  other  Priests,  holds  out  eternal  punish- 
ment in  the  next  world  to  those  who  secede.  Like  the  Virgil ian 
"Rex  Anius,  rex  idem  hominum,  Phoebique  Sacerdos,"  he  is  both 
Governor  and  Priest,  preaching  to  them  in  church  and  manag- 
ing when  out  of  it  their  pecuniary  affairs.  Hence  this  society  pre- 
sents the  extraordinary  spectacle  of  a  most  complete  despotism  in 
the  midst  of  a  great  republic:  for  with  the  exception  perhaps  of 
being  a  little  better  clothed  and  fed,  the  lower  orders  of  the 
Harmonites  are  as  much  vassals,  or  more  so,  than  they  were  in 
Germany. 

The  settlement  was  once  a  benefit  to  the  neighbourhood; 
but  at  present  most  of  the  Americans  consider  it  as  injurious. 
At  first  the  people,  for  a  great  distance  around  the  Settlement, 
being  supplied  with  goods  that  they  could  not  easily  procure  else- 
where, considered  it  advantageous  to  them;  but  they  now  think 
precisely  the  contrary;  for  the  Harmonites,  not  having  to  pay  their 
workmen,  are  enabled  to  under-sell  every  one  who  would  wish  to 
set  up  a  store,  and  thus  prevent  competition.  Moreover,  as  in 
exchange  for  their  cloths,  linens,  hats,  whiskey,  &c.,  they  receive 
vast  sums  of  money  which  they  never  spend,  and  thus  diminish 
the  circulating  medium  of  the  country. 

"If,"  say  the  Americans,  "an  ordinary  merchant  could  come 
among  us,  and  set  up  a  store,  as  he  grew  rich  he  would  increase  his 
expenditure,  and  the  money  would  circulate  and  enrich  those  who 
supplied  him  with  meat,  bread,  &c. ;  but  these  people  spend  noth- 
ing, and  therefore  we  should  be  very  glad  to  see  their  society 
destroyed." 

Old  Rapp  has  transferred  most  of  the  active  superintendence 
of  the  temporal  concerns  of  the  society  to  his  adopted  son  Fred- 
eric Kapp,  thus  accustoming  the  people  to  a  sort  of  hereditary 
despotism.  We  may  however  very  much  doubt,  whether  the 
society  will  hold  together  after  the  old  man's  death,  an  event 
which  in  the  course  of  nature  must  soon  take  place. 

The  people,  under  the  present  system,  are  a  set  of  well-fed, 
well-clothed,  hard-working  vassals.  They  are  very  grave  and 
serious.  During  the  whole  time  I  was  at  Harmony,  I  never  saw 
one  of  them  laugh;  indeed  they  appeared  to  me  to  enjoy  only  a 
sort  of  melancholy  contentment,  which  makes  a  decided  differ- 
ence between  them  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  other  parts  of  the 
country,  who  without  fanaticism  or  celibacy,  find  themselves  well 
off  and  comfortable. 


From  Memorable  days  in  America;  being  a  journal  of  a 
tour  to  the  United  States,  by  W.  Faux  [1823],  pp. 
203-268. 

FAUX,,  WILLIAM. 

Chief  among  those  Englishmen  who  scorned  everything  American  after 
the  second  war  with  Great  Britain  was  one  William  Faux,  author  of  Memor- 
able days  in  America. 

He  calls  himself  an  English  Farmer,  whose  tour  to  the  United  States 
was  principally  undertaken  "to  ascertain,  by  positive  evidence,  the  condi- 
tion and  probable  prospects  of  British  emigrants;  including  accounts  of  Mr. 
Birkbeck's  settlement  in  Illinois;  and  intended  to  shew  Men  and  Things  as 
the3r  are  in  America." 

His  accounts  were  simply  one  line  of  ridicule  after  another,  and  in  the 
language  of  one  of  his  fellow  reviewers  bore  the  earmarks  of  a  "simpleton  of 
the  first  water,  a  capital  specimen  of  a  village  John  Bull,  for  the  first  time 
roaming  far  away  from  his  native  valley —  staring  at  everything  and  grumb- 
ling at  most." 

His  accounts  therefore  while  both  interesting  and  amusing  are  of  little 
real  value. 

October  27th,  1819. — At  sun-rise  I  left  Louisville,  in  Colonel 
Johnson's  carriage  and  pair,  for  Vincennes,  in  Indiana,  well 
pleased  to  turn  my  back  on  all  the  spitting,  gouging,  dirking, 
duelling,  swearing,  and  staring,  of  old  Kentucky. 

I  crossed  the  Ohio  at  Portland,  and  landed  at  New  Albion,  a 
young  rising  village,  to  breakfast,  where,  for  the  first  time  in 
America,  I  found  fine,  sweet,  white,  home-baked  bread.  The 
staff  of  life  is  generally  sour,  and,  though  light  and  spongy,  very 
ill-flavoured,  either  from  bad  leaven,  or  the  flour  sweating  and 
turning  sour  in  the  barrel. 

At  eleven,  a.  m.,  I  rested,  and  baited  at  a  farm  log-house, 
having  one  room  only ;  the  farmer  came  to  it  ten  years  ago,  and  has 
settled  on  two  quarter  sections  of  land.  He  has  a  good  horsemill 
at  work,  night  and  day,  to  which  people  come  with  grist,  from 
10  to  15  miles,  working  it  with  their  own  horses,  four  in  number, 
and  leaving  him  (the  miller)  an  eighth  for  his  toll.  "My  land" 
(says  he)  "is  good,  but  not  like  that  of  old  Kentuck.  I  get  from 
40  to  60  bushels  of  corn,  and  wheat,  25  to  30  bushels  per  acre,  and 
a  market,  at  my  door,  in  supplying  gentlemen-travellers,  and 
emigrants."  The  first  house  is,  for  five  or  six  years,  a  miserable 
hole,  with  one  room  only,  after  which,  rises  a  better,  and  the  old 
one  remains  for  a  kitchen.  This  man  seems  full  of  money,  and 

(291) 


292  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

knows  all  things;  he  damns  the  state  government  for  denying  him 
the  privilege  of  slavery,  and  of  using  his  Kentucky  negroes,  who, 
in  consequence,  (he  says)  are  hired  and  exposed  to  cruelty.  "I 
was  raised  under  a  monarchy  government,  in  Virginia,  where  every 
man  did  as  he  pleased.  This  Indiana  a  free  state,  and  yet  not  at 
liberty  to  use  its  own  property!  You  tell  me  to  quit  it,  I  guess,  if 
I  do  not  like  it."  "Yes,  I  do."  "Well  then,  the  government, 
d— n  it,  has  the  power,  it  seems  to  drive  me  out."  This  strange 
man  was  very  civil  and  coarsely  kind  to  me,  and  whispered  aside 
to  my  driver,  that  he  knew  I  was  a  very  large  proprietor  in  this 
state. 

I  travelled  till  sun-set,  32  miles  from  the  Ohio,  and  slept  at 
Mrs.  Moore's  farm-log-house  tavern,  with  three  rooms,  and  a 
broken  window  in  each;  all  moderately  comfortable,  until  the 
pitiless,  pelting  storms  of  winter  come,  when  it  will  snow  and  blow 
upon  the  beds.  My  hostess  would,  in  England,  pass  for  a  witch, 
having  a  singularly  long,  yellow,  haggish,  dirty,  face  and  com- 
plexion. She  has  three  fine  sons,  but  no  servants.  They  do  all 
the  household  work,  and  that  on  the  farm,  themselves,  hiring 
none.  They  clear  five  or  six  acres  every  year,  have  cleared  60 
acres,  and  mean  that  the  other  60  of  their  quarter  section  should 
remain  in  wood.  They  located  themselves  here  eight  years  since, 
and  find  good  land,  good  crops,  and  a  market  at  the  door.  Two 
of.  the  young  Moores  mounted  their  horses,  and,  with  five  dogs, 
set  off  hunting  at  bed-time,  until  midnight,  after  racoons,  foxes, 
wolves,  bears,  and  wild  cats.  I  saw  a  skin  of  the  latter  animal, 
much  like  a  tame  cat,  only  bigger,  and  its  tail  shorter;  they  live  on 
partridges  and  young  pigs,  and  poultry  when  they  can  get  them; 
they  never  mew  and  call  out  like  the  domestic  cat.  Here  is  a  pet 
bear,  which  took  an  ear  of  Indian  corn  out  of  my  hand.  One  of 
these  pets  recently  broke  its  chain,  and  came  into  the  house,  where 
lay  a  sick  and  bedridden  man,  and  an  infant  child  on  the  floor, 
with  which  the  bear,  much  pleased,  marched  off.  The  poor  old 
man,  not  knowing,  till  then,  that  he  was  able  to  turn  himself  in 
bed,  suddenly  acquired  supernatural  strength,  sprung  out,  and 
running  after  the  bear,  threw  him  down,  rescued  the  screaming 
babe,  unhugged  and  unhurt,  and  then  jumped  into  bed  again. 

28th. — Now  quite  out  of  society;  every  thing  and  every  body, 
with  some  few  exceptions,  looks  wild,  and  half  savage.  To  his 
honor  Judge  Chambers's,  to  breakfast.  His  log-tavern  is  com- 
fortable; he  farms  two  and  a  half  quarter  sections,  and  raises  from 
40  to  60  bushels  of  corn  an  acre.  Nearly  all  the  good  land  on  this 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  293 

road  is  entered.  "I  had,"  says  he,  "hard  work  for  the  first  two  or 
three  years."  The  judge  is  a  smart  man  of  about  40,  and  not  only  a 
judge,  but  a  senator  also,  and  what  is  more,  the  best  horse- 
jockey  in  the  state.  He  seems  very  active,  prudent,  cautious,  and 
industrious,  and,  like  all  the  rest  of  the  people  on  this  road,  kind- 
hearted.  He  fills  the  two-fold  station  of  waiter  and  ostler  in  part; 
I  say  in  part,  for,  as  he  has  no  servant,  the  drudgery  must  be  done 
by  the  traveller  himself,  if  he  have  a  horse  or  horses.  His  honor 
left  my  driver  to  do  all,  and  hastily  rode  off  to  a  distant  mill  for 
his  grist,  now  much  wanted,  and  with  which  he  returned  in  about 
two  hours,  while  her  honor,  Mrs.  Judge,  and  the  six  Miss  Judges, 
prepared  my  good  breakfast.  These  ladies  do  all  the  work  of  the 
house,  and  some  of  the  field,  every  thing  seems  comfortable  and 
easy  to  them,  although  the  blue  sky  and  the  broad  sun  stare  and 
peep  through  cracks  and  crevices  in  the  roof  of  their  house. 
While  I  sat  at  breakfast,  his  honor's  mother,  a  fine  smart  young 
woman  of  four-score,  came  briskly  riding  up,  and  alighted  at  the 
door;  as  good  a  horsewoman  as  ever  mounted  a  side-saddle.  She 
had  been  to  pay  a  distant  visit,  and  seemed  as  though  her  strength 
and  youth  were  renewed,  like  the  eagle's.  She  reminded  me  of 
Moses,  "with  his  eye  not  dim,  nor  his  natural  force  abated." 

At  noon,  I  stopped  at  another  log-house,  quarter-section  farm- 
er's, with  two  fine  healthy  boys,  much  civilized,  who,  of  them- 
selves, have  cleared  forty  acres  of  heavily  timbered  land,  such 
as  is  seldom  seen,  and  cropped  it  twice  in  eighteen  months. 
What  prodigious  industry!  It  is,  they  say,  worth  ten  dollars 
an  acre  clearing.  It  is;  and  an  Englishmen  would,  indeed,  think 
so,  and  demand  double  and  treble  that  sum,  for  that  quantity  of 
excessive  labour.  They,  however,  now  wish  to  sell  out  their 
improved  quarter  section,  and  remove  further  from  the  road. 
These  young  men  drink  spring  water,  and  like  it  better  than  whis- 
key, and  look  heartier  and  healthier  than  any  settlers  I  have  yet 
seen  in  the  wilds. 

I  rested  all  night  at  another  quarter-section  farmer's,  who, 
together  with  his  brother  and  wife,  has  cleared  thirty  acres  in 
eighteen  months,  without  hired  hands,  and  is  now  rearing  a  second 
log-house.  They  find  a  market  at  their  door  for  all  they  can  raise, 
and  ten  times  as  much,  if  they  could  raise  it.  They  burn  all  the 
logs  and  trees  rolled  together  in  immense  heaps,  and  prefer  the 
wood-land  to  the  barrens,  the  latter  being  thinly  timbered  with 
dwarfish  trees  and  shrubs.  The  wife,  husband,  brother,  and  three 
wild  children,  sleep  in  one  room,  together  with  three  or  four  travel- 


294  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

lers,  all  on  the  floor,  bedless,  but  wrapt  up  in  blankets.  I,  being  a 
mighty  fine  man,  was  put  into  the  new  house,  which,  though  with- 
out either  doors  or  windows,  was  distinguished  by  one  bed  on  a 
bedstead,  both  home-made,  and  as  soft  as  straw  and  wood  could 
be.  Into  this  bed  was  I  honourably  put,  and  at  midnight  favoured 
with  a  bed-fellow,  a  stranger  Yankee  man  whom  I  had  seen  on  the 
mountains;  and  at  my  feet,  on  the  floor,  slept  two  Irish,  and  one 
poor  sick  American,  all  pedestrians,  who  had  wandered  here  in 
quest  of  employment.  Thus  housed  and  bedded,  we  were  faith- 
fully watched  and  guarded  by  several  huge  hunting  dogs,  lying 
around  the  entrance  of  our  bed-room,  barking  and  growling  to  the 
howling  wolves,  bears,  foxes,  and  wild  cats,  now  roaming  around, 
and  seeming  ready  to  devour  us.  Our  hostess  hung  on  the  cook- 
all,  and  gave  us  fowls,  ill-flavoured  bacon,  and  wild  beef,  all 
stewed  down  to  rags  like  hotch-potch,  together  with  coffee  and 
home-made  sugar,  for  supper  and  breakfast.  All  was  coarse, 
wild,  and  ill-flavoured. 

29th. — At  sunrise  I  passed  two  waggons  and  herds  of  cattle 
and  people,  very  wild-looking  and  Indian-like,  rising  from  camp, 
having  camped  out  all  night  after  the  fashion  of  English  gypsies. 
Stopped  at  a  wretched  cabin,  having  only  one  room,  and  that 
brimful  of  great  dirty  boys  and  girls,  all  very  ragged  and 
half  naked ;  and  again  at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Lewis,  from  Virginia, 
where  every  thing  presented  a  fine  contrast;  clean,  healthy, 
civilized  children. 

Breakfasted  at  an  infant  ville,  Hindostan,  on  the  falls  of  the 
White  River,  a  broad  crystal  stream,  running  navigable  to  the 
Ohio,  over  a  bed  of  sand  and  stone,  smooth  and  white  as  a  floor  of 
marble.  This  baby  ville  is  flourishing;  much  building  is  in  progress 
and  it  promises  to  become  a  pleasant,  healthy,  large  town,  before  I 
see  it  again.  The  land,  too,  is  rich  and  inviting.  I  now  crossed,  in 
my  chariot,  White  River,  and  in  two  hours  after  stopped  at  a 
quarter-section  farmer's,  who  has  never  cleared  nor  inclosed  any 
of  his  land,  because  sick  or  idle;  being,  however,  well  enough  to 
hunt  daily,  a  sport  which,  as  he  can  live  by  it,  he  likes  better 
than  farming;  "and  besides,"  says  he,  "we  had  at  first  so  many 
wild  beasts  about  us,  that  we  could  not  keep  pigs,  poultry,  sheep, 
nor  anything  else."  Called  on  another  quarter-section  man, 
sick,  and  who  therefore  has  done  but  little  himself;  two  young 
boys  have  cleared  five  or  six  acres.  The  tavern  keeps  them  all;  a 
tavern,  with  one  miserable  hole  of  a  room. 

I  stopped  again  at  a  two  quarter-section  farmer's,  who  said; 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  295 

"I  am  an  old  man,  and  have  only  my  boys;  we  cannot  hire,  but  we 
do  all  the  labour,  and  get  60  bushels  of  corn  per  acre,  but  no 
wheat  of  any  consequence  yet.  We  can  always  sell  all  the  pro- 
duce we  raise  from  the  land  to  travellers  like  you,  and  others,  new 
comers."  "But,"  said  Iv  "what  will  you  do  when  your  said  new 
comers  and  neighbours  have  as  much  to  spare  and  sell  as  you 
have?"  "O,  then  we'll  give  it  to  cattle  and  pigs,  which  can  travel 
to  a  market  somewhere.  I  see  no  fear  of  a  market  in  some  shape 
or  other."  This  was  a  shrewd  old  fellow. 

I  met  and  passed  five  or  six  huge  waggons  laden  with  goods, 
chattels,  and  children,  and  families,  attended  by  horsemen,  cat- 
tle, and  footmen,  and  many  negroes,  all  returning  from  the 
Missouri  territory  to  their  native  home  and  state  of  Kentucky, 
which  they  had  rashly  left  only  two  months  since.  Having 
sold  out  there  in  good  times  at  30  dollars  an  acre,  and  being  now 
scared  out  of  Missouri  by  sickness,  they  are  returning  to  repur- 
chase their  former  homes  in  Kentucky  at  15  dollars  an  acre;  or 
perhaps,  says  my  informant,  they  may  return  to  the  Missouri, 
when  the  fear  of  sickness  subsides.  They  have  left  their  father 
behind,  as  a  pledge  of  returning;  but  still  100  acres  in  Old  Ken- 
tuck  are  worth  300  in  Missouri,  except  in  river-bottoms,  that  is, 
valleys  of  rivers. 

Passed  another  Washington,  a  young  county  seat  (or 
town)  and  several  fine  neighbourhoods  of  rich  land,  full  of  iron- 
weed,  but  not  so  rank  as  in  Kentucky,  yet  bearing  plenty  of  huge 
sugar-trees.  Every  state  in  this  mighty  Union  seems  emulous  of 
building  towns,  monumental  piles  of  immortality  to  General 
Washington. 

Rested  for  the  night  at  a  good  bricked  house  tavern  on  the 
White-river  ferry,  but  without  one  glass  window  in  it.  It  is  get- 
ting old  and  wearing  out  before  it  is  finished.  Here  I  found  a 
good  supper  of  buck  venison,  fowls,  wrhiskey,  and  coffee.  My 
hostess,  the  owner,  was  lately  a  rich  widow,  and  might  have 
remained  so,  but  for  a  Yankee  soldier  with  a  knapsack  at  his 
back,  whose  lot  it  was  to  call  at  her  house.  They  are  now  married, 
and  he  is  lord  of  the  tavern,  land  and  all.  My  host  had  a  large 
party  of  distant  neighbours  assembled  to  effect  a  corn  shucking, 
something  like  an  English  hawkey,  or  harvest  home.  All,  gentle, 
and  simple,  here  work  hard  till  eleven  at  night.  Corn  shucking 
means  plucking  the  ears  of  Indian  corn  from  the  stalk,  and  then 
housing  it  in  cribs,  purposely  made  to  keep  it  in,  for  winter  use. 
The  stalk  is  left  in  the  field;  the  leaves,  while  half  green,  are 


296  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

stripped  off,  and  tied  up  in  bundles,  as  hay  for  horses  and  cattle, 
and  good  food  it  is,  much  resembling  in  form  the  flags  in  English 
marshes.  After  I  had  retired  to  bed  the  hawkey  supper  com- 
menced; all  seemed  fun,  created  by  omnipotent  whiskey,  with 
which  they  plentifully  supplied  me,  although  in  bed.  "The 
Doctor,  the  Squire,  the  Colonel,"  said  they,  "shall  drink  and  lack 
no  good  thing."  I  was  consequently  pressed  to  rise  and  join 
them,  about  one  o'clock.  I  refused.  "Then,"  said  they,  "Doctor, 
you  shall  drink  in  bed."  My  charioteer  had  foolishly  called  me 
Doctor,  Squire,  Colonel,  and  what  not,  during  the  whole  of  this 
wilderness  journey;  hence,  I  was  here  applied  to  as  an  eminent 
physician. 

3Qth. — Travelled  12  miles  to  breakfast  on  fine  buck  venison 
at  three  farthings  per  pound,  or  one  dollar  for  the  buck,  at  the 
house  of  a  shrewd  old  kind-hearted  Pennsylvanian,  now  nearly 
worn  out  and  ready  to  sleep,  either  with  or  without,  his  fathers. 
"I  have,"  says  he,  "lately  lost  my  son,  and  my  farms  are  running 
fast  to  ruin.  I  have  200  acres,  some  of  which  I  hire  out,  and  I 
have  just  finished  what  my  son  began,  a  good  new  log-house. 
This  Indiana  is  the  best  country  in  the  world  for  young  men. 
Were  I  a  young  man  I  would  live  no  wrhere  else  in  all  the  universal 
world."  "Although,"  says  he,  "many  hundreds  of  waggons,  with 
droves  of  men  and  beasts,  four  or  five  hundred  in  a  drove,  and  at 
least  5,000  souls  from  Kentucky  have  passed  my  house  since  last 
harvest,  all  bound  for  the  Missouri." 

At  eleven,  p.  m.,  I  reached  Old  Vincennes,  the  first  and  old- 
est town  in  this  state,  situated  in  a  fine  woodless  Prairie  on  the 
banks  of  the  big  Wabash,  a  fine  broad,  clear,  and  generally  deep 
stream,  running  to  the  Ohio  by  Shawneese  town,  but  when  its 
waters  are  low,  weeds  rise  from  the  bottom,  and  grow,  and  rot, 
and  impregnate  the  air  with  pestilence.  On  passing  through  this 
place,  a  farmer  said  that  last  spring  he  lost  seven  cows,  and  that 
hundreds  were  poisoned  by  some  unknown  herb  found  growing  in 
their  pastures  on  river-bottom  land.  A  medical  botanist  was  here 
much  wanted.  An  immense  quantity  of  land  in  the  neighbour- 
ing state  of  Illinois,  is  here,  I  see,  posted  up  in  this  town  for  sale  or 
lease,  for  a  term  of  years,  at  one  peck  of  corn  per  acre,  per  annum. 
But  who  will  hire,  when  nearly  all  can  buy?  I  passed  away  my  20 
dollar  note  of  the  rotten  bank  of  Harmony,  Pennsylvania,  for  five 
dollars  only!  so  losing  31.  7s.  6d.  sterling.  I  was  indebted  five 
dollars  to  my  faithful  driver,  who  was  now  to  leave  me  behind 
and  press  on  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  I  said,  "Now,  driver,  which 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  297 

will  you  have;  five  silver  dollars,  or  the  20  dollar  note;  or  what 
more  than  your  demand  will  you  give  for  the  said  note?"  "Noth- 
ing." "Then  take  it,  and  bless  banks  and  banking  for  ever." 
Bank  paper  is  here  an  especial  nuisance,  and  ever  fruitful  source 
of  evil,  and  ever  very  unfriendly  to  honesty,  peace,  and  good  will 
amongst  hosts  and  travellers,  who  meet  and  part,  cheating  and 
cheated,  cursed  and  cursing,  continually.  My  landlord  here  is 
very  obliging,  and  puts  me  into  the  best  room  and  bed  in  the  Vin- 
cennes  hotel,  where  I  am  sleeping  with  a  sick  traveller  from  St. 
Louis,  who  states  that  many  die  daily,  and  his  doctor  there  had  150 
patients  to  visit  every  day,  or  oftener.  So  much  for  the  health- 
iness of  the  ever-tempting  Missouri. 

Sunday,  31st. — The  town  of  Vincennes  is  more  than  200  years 
old;  older  than  Philadelphia;  but  being  of  French  origin,  and  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Indians,  ever  hostile  to  the  inhabitants  and 
settlers  round  it,  has  grown  but  slowly,  and  is  an  antique  lump  of 
deformity.  Although  long  the  capital  and  mother  town  of  the 
state,  it  looks  like  an  old,  worn  out,  dirty  village  of  wooden  frame 
houses,  which  a  fire  might  much  improve,  for  improvement  gen- 
erally has  to  travel  through  flames.  Here  is  no  church,  save  the 
Catholic  church,  the  inhabitants  being  principally  French  Cana- 
dians, and  the  rest  the  refuse  of  the  east,  whose  crimes  have  driven 
them  hither,  or  dissipated  young  men  unable  to  live  at  home. 
Hence  Sunday  is  only  a  day  of  frolic  and  recreation,  which  com- 
mences on  the  Saturday  evening,  when  every  preparation  is 
devoutly  made  for  the  Sabbath,  and  off  they  start  in  large  parties 
on  foot  and  on  horseback,  all  riflemen,  and  cunning  hunters,  into 
the  deep  recesses  of  the  forest,  camping  out  all  night  in  readiness 
for  sabbath  sacrifices,  the  bucks,  the  bears,  the  squirrels,  and  the 
turkeys,  ready  to  be  offered  up  by  peep  of  day.  This  holy  day  is 
consequently  ushered  in  by  guns,  which  continue  to  roar  in  and 
around  the  town  all  day  until  sunset.  The  stranger  might  think 
it  was  closely  besieged,  or  that  an  enemy  was  approaching.  The 
steam  flour-mill,  a  large  grinding  establishment  of  extortion,  giv- 
ing only  30  Ibs.  of  flour  for  one  bushel  of  wheat,  weighing  60  Ibs. 
is  in  operation  all  this  day,  and  on  other  days,  day  and  night,  and 
blacksmiths'  shops  are  in  high  bustle,  blazing,  blowing,  and  ham- 
mering in  direct  opposition  to  a  law  against  Sunday  business  and 
pleasure,  but  which  is  never  feared,  because  never  enforced.  The 
refuse,  rather  than  the  flower  of  the  east,  seems,  with  some  excep- 
tions, to  be  here.  But  still  good  is  coming  out  of  evil.  The  east  is 


298  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

thus  disencumbered,  and  the  west  is  peopled.  Posterity  will  shew 
a  better  face.  Such  is  the  process  of  empire. 

I  rambled  round  the  town  to  the  court-house,  or  shire-hall, 
really  externally  an  elegant  building,  but  decaying  before  finished, 
as  though  the  state  were  unable  to  finish  what  it  had  so  well 
begun  before  counting  the  cost.  The  State  Seminary,  a  very 
respectable  edifice,  but  in  little  better  plight,  was  built  by  Uncle 
Sam,  and  endowed  with  an  ample  township  in  the  state.  It  is, 
however,  only  a  nominal  seminary,  because  the  trustees  are  not 
empowered  to  sell  any  of  its  land  for  raising  funds,  but  must  derive 
them  from  hiring  and  leasing  it  out  in  farms.  But  while  plenty  of 
uncleared  or  cleared  farms  can  be  bought  at  two  dollars  an  acre, 
who  will  ever  think  of  hiring? 

I  saw  two  Indian  graves  on  the  eastern  banks  of  the  Wabash. 
Each  hillock  is  carefully  arched  over  with  broad  stripes  of  bark, 
each  three  feet  wide,  with  logs  and  sticks,  or  bands  across.  The 
bodies  are  buried  from  one  to  two  feet  deep  only.  Visited  the  house 
of.J.  Lowndes,  Esq.,  the  prison  philanthropist  and  Howard  of 
America,  but  did  not  see  him.  He  was  gone,  as  an  Indian  ambas- 
sador, to  the  government  in  Washington  city  assembled,  and  I 
passed  him  unconsciously  on  Thursday  last,  when  I  saw  and  noted 
in  a  handsome  chariot,  a  venerable  gentlemanly,  dignified  count- 
enance. It  was  that  of  this  good  and  honourable  man.  I  pre- 
sented his  lady,  once  the  widow  of  the  late  Judge  Vanderburgh, 
with  my  introductory  letter  to  her  husband,  which  I  had  brought 
from  one  of  my  friends  at  Washington  city.  She  regretted  the 
absence  of  her  spouse,  and  received  me  graciously.  This  gen- 
erous man  is  gone  a  third  time  to  the  President  on  behalf  ot  the 
Indian  chiefs  who  call  him  their  father,  having  appointed  and 
chosen  him  as  the  only  honest  American  whom  they  have  ever 
known;  all  with  whom  they  before  had  dealt  or  treated,  tricked 
them  out  of  their  lands.  Mr.  Lowndes  knows  their  language, 
and  has  a  speech  always  put  into  his  mouth  by  these  barbarian 
grandees.  "Go,"  said  they,  "go,  father,  and  tell  our  great  father, 
the  President,  how  we  are  deviled  and  cheated,  and  if  he  does  not 
do  us  justice,  go,  tell  him  he  is  a  hog,  and  that  we  would  burn  up 
the  land  if  we  could."  Mr.  L.  replied,  "that  this  was  an  undutiful 
speech  for  children  to  send  to  their  father;"  but  in  great  rage  they 
rejoined  in  their  own  tongue,  "He  is  only  a  man."  The  chiefs, 
whom  Mr.  Lowndes  represents,  are  of  the  Delaware  tribe,  the 
posterity  of  those  from  whom  William  Peun  so  honourably  bought 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  299 

Pennsylvania,  and  who  traditionally  revere  his  memory  down  to 
this  day. 

November  1st. — During  the  last  month  the  weather  has  been 
cold  and  dry.  but  generally  clear  and  without  fogs,  and  in  the 
night  frosty,  shewing  ice  half  an  inch  thick.  Summer  and  I  parted 
on  the  last  of  September,  at  Washington  city,  where  she  lingers 
until  Christmas.  Late  last  evening  my  host  returned  from  his 
Sunday  hunt,  heavily  laden  with  his  share  of  the  game,  namely, 
two  wild  ducks,  one  wild  turkey,  seven  squirrels,  and  one  fine 
fat  buck  of  130  Ibs.  weight.  Hunting  seems  the  everlasting  delight 
of  this  town.  When  I  went  to  bed  last  night  the  prairie  and  forest 
were  both  enveloped  in  a  wide-spreading,  sky-reddening  blaze, 
which  the  hunters  had  kindled  to  drive  out  and  start  the  game. 

I  met  this  morning  Mr.  Baker  of  Philadelphia,  an  intelligent 
traveller,  who  knows  my  friend  J.  Ingle,  living  eighty  miles  further 
west  of  this  place,  and  who  has  kindly  borrowed  a  horse  for  me, 
and  agrees  to  pilot  me  thither  tomorrow.  I  saw  a  large  party  of 
Miami  Indian  hunters,  accompanied  by  their  ugly  squaws,  all  on 
horseback,  and  all  astride,  with  their  tomahawks  and  frightful 
knives  girdled  round  them,  dressed  in  blankets  and  turbans,  and 
painted  red,  green,  black,  and  white;  every  feature  having  a 
different  shade  of  colour,  and  all,  save  the  squaws,  apparently 
half  drunk,  having  their  bottle  of  fire-water,  or  whiskey,  with 
them,  which,  after  drinking  from  it  themselves,  they  stopped  and 
handed  to  me  and  my  friend  Baker.  We  took  it  and  applied  it  to 
our  lips,  it  being  considered  the  perfection  of  rudeness  and  bar- 
barism, and  little  short  of  enmity,  to  refuse  any  thing  so  kindly 
offered.  This  tribe  had  approached  the  town  for  the  purpose  of 
selling  their  venison.  Each  horse  carried  two  or  three  quarters, 
fat  and  fine,  ready  skinned,  and  hanging  down  its  sides.  The 
price  was  only  a  quarter  dollar  for  30  Ibs.,  not  an  English  half- 
penny per  pound. 

Although  Yincennes  is  an  old  mother  town,  abounding  in  rich 
land,  it  is  uncultivated,  and  there  is  occasionally  a  scarcity  of 
necessaries,  particularly  of  milk  and  butter,  which,  with  the 
worst  tea,  are  dealt  out  very  sparingly ;  no  lump  sugar,  no  brandy, 
no  segars,  no  spitoons  are  seen  at  this  hotel. 

All  persons  here,  and  all  whom  I  have  met,  hitherto,  during 
this  western  pilgrimage,  whether  they  have  or  have  not  visited 
Birkbeck,  think  very  meanly  of  both  him  and  his  settlement. 
The  English  emigrants  particularly,  (says  Mr. )  deem  them- 
selves deceived  and  injured  by  his  books  and  mis-statements. 


300  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

2nd. — Yesterday  at  noon  came  on  a  heavy  gale,  which  filled 
the  atmosphere  for  the  remainder  of  the  day  and  night,  with  a 
strange  mixture  of  hot  smoke,  ashes,  and  dusty  sand,  to  the 
density  and  hue  of  a  London  fog  in  December.  The  sun  was  com- 
pletely shorn  of  his  beams,  and  the  whole  horizon,  for  unknown 
miles  in  circumference,  filled  with  a  blinding  commotion,  like  a 
gale  in  the  great  desert;  and  at  night  to  the  N.  W.  the  sky  blazed 
and  reddened  over  a  great  extent,  while  the  big  Wabash  blushed, 
and  the  whole  atmosphere  became  illuminated,  as  though  it  was 
the  kindling  up  of  the  last  universal  conflagration. 

At  ten  this  morning  I  left  old  Vincennes  for  Princetown.  The 
horse  which  my  friend  Baker  had  borrowed  for  me  was  mean 
and  mis-shapen,  but  covered  with  buffalo  skins,  which  hide  all 
defects.  The  horses  here  are  nearly  all  mean,  wild;  deformed, 
half  grown,  dwarfish  things,  and  much  in  taste  and  tune  with 
their  riders.  The  pigs,  every  where  in  great  abundance,  seem 
more  than  half  wild,  and  at  the  approach  of  man  fly,  or  run  like 
deer  at  the  sight  of  an  Indian  rifle.  Throughout  the  western 
regions  they  look  starved  to  death.  This,  however,  is  a  bad 
season  for  them,  there  being  little  mast,  that  is,  acorns,  nuts,  and 
other  wild  fruit  and  herbage.  I  passed  over  an  extensive,  sandy, 
black,  burning  prairie,  the  cause  of  yesterday's  and  today's  thick 
hazy  atmosphere,  the  sun  looking  more  like  the  moon,  and  as  if 
turned  into  blood.  At  noon,  I  rode  through  a  large  rich  river- 
bottom  valley,  on  the  banks  of  the  White  River,  and  which,  in 
winter,  is  as  yet  overflowed,  from  six  to  ten  feet  of  water  above  the 
surface,  as  the  trees  prove  by  circles  round  their  trunks,  and  by 
their  boughs  dipping  and  catching  the  scum  of  the  surf.  This 
land,  of  course,  is  the  finest  for  meadow,,  if  it  were  wanted,  but  as 
the  prairies  are  all  meadow,  it  is  of  no  value.  In  it  stand  such 
enormous  trees  as  are  seldom  seen  elsewhere,  having  trunks  like 
towers.  Here,  too,  flourishes,  the  long  and  far-famed,  ever-green 
mistletoe,  planted  by  birds,  or  propogated  only  by  seed  or  berries, 
which  are  sown  or  deposited  on  decayed  branches  and  arms  of  oak 
and  other  trees,  to  beautify  the  desolation  of  the  winder  forest. 
Excessive  drinking  seems  the  all-prevading,  easily-besetting  sin  of 
this  wild  hunting  country.  Plenty  of  coal  is  found  on  the  Wabash 
banks,  and  there  are  salt-springs  in  this  state,  but  sad  Yankee 
tricks  are  played  off  in  the  working  and  making  salt  from  them. 
Grease  and  fat  are  used,  to  make  it  retain  a  large  portion  of 
water,  which  asists  in  filling  the  bushel  with  deception.  Although 
fat  is  so  abundant,  yet  it  is  sold  at  20  cents,  or  lOd.  per  Ib.  and 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  301 

candles  at  37^  cents,  or  19d.  per  Ib.  Milk,  too,  in  a  land  which 
might  flow  with  milk  and  honey,  is  12|  cents,  or  Qd.  per  quart,  and 
not  a  constant  supply  at  that  price,  nor  at  any  other  price,  unless  a 
cow  is  kept.  Butter,  bad,  at  25  cents  per  Ib.  Beef,  six  cents  per 
Ib.  by  the  quarter,  which  lies  on  the  ground  all  day  at  the  tavern 
doors,  as  if  brought  for  dog's  meat.  Tavern  doors  are  here  never 
closed. 

Saving  two  comfortable  plantations,  with  neat  log-houses  and 
flourishing  orchards,  just  planted,  and  which  sprout  and  grow 
like  osiers  in  England,  I  saw  nothing  between  Vincennes  and 
Princeton,  a  ride  of  forty  miles,  but  miserable  log  holes,  and  a 
mean  ville  of  eight  or  ten  huts  or  cabins,  sad  neglected  farms,  and 
indolent,  dirty,  sickly,  wild-looking  inhabitants.  Soap  is  no 
where  seen  or  found  in  any  of  the  taverns,  east  or  west.  Hence 
dirty  hands,  heads,  and  faces  every  where.  Here  is  nothing  clean 
but  wild  beasts  and  birds,  nothing  industrious  generally,  except 
pigs,  which  are  so  of  necessity.  Work  or  starve  is  the  order  of 
the  day  with  them.  Nothing  happy  but  squirrels;  their  life 
seems  all  play,  and  that  of  the  hogs  all  work.  I  reached  Prince- 
ton at  sun-set. 

3rd. — I  looked  round  Princeton,  a  four-year  old  town  and 
county-seat.  Here  I  found  and  called  on  my  countryman  Mr. 
Phillips,  who  came  a  visitor  from  Somersetshire,  but  fixed  on  a 
pleasant  good  farm  of  300  acres  close  to  the  town,  which  he  bought 
with  some  improvements,  such  as  a  small  log-house,  and  a  few 
acres  cleared  by  art  and  nature,  at  20  dollars  an  acre;  "the  only 
farm  (says  he)  which  I  would  have  in  this  state  of  Indiana,  but 
which  I  mean  to  improve  and  resell,  and  then  return  to  England. 
I  hate  the  prairies,  all  of  them;  insomuch  that  I  would  not  have 
any  of  them  of  a  gift,  if  I  must  be  compelled  to  live  on  them. 
They  are  all  without  water,  except  what  is  too  muddy  and  dis- 
tant for  use.  I  am  much  perplexed  with  labourers;  both  the  Eng- 
lish and  natives  are  good  for  nothing;  they  know  nothing,  and  it  is 
impossible  to  get  any  kind  of  business  well  done,  either  with  or 
without  money.  Money  cannot  be  gained  by  cultivation.  There 
is  no  certain  good  market;  farm  produce  may,  perhaps,  be  sold  at 
some  price,  but  you  cannot  get  your  money  of  the  cheats  and  scum 
of  society  who  live  here.  I  think  that  Birkbeck  is  right  in  not 
cultivating  his  land,  though  wrong  and  mortified  in  having  writ- 
ten so  hastily  and  prematurely.  He  and  Flower  are  both  sink- 
ing and  scattering  money,  which  they  will  never  see  more  or 
gather  again.  They  cannot  even  hope  to  gain  or  increase  their 


302  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

capital,  but  by  the  contingent  increase  in  the  value  of  their  land, 
which  is  not  the  best  of  its  kind.  With  hired  labour  and  a 
market,  I  should  prefer  the  western  country,  but  here,  though 
there  is  no  visible  want,  yet  is  there  proverty  indeed,  and  but  little 
or  no  friendship.  No  sharing  things  in  common;  idleness  poverty, 
and  cheating,  are  the  order  and  temper  of  the  day." 

Mr.  Phillips  and  his  wife  both  looked  very  shabby,  wild  and 
dirty.  He  apologized  to  me  for  his  dishabille,  and  said,  "Sir, 
if  a  stranger  like  you  had  found  me  in  this  plight  in  England,  and  I 
could  have  seen  you  coming  up  to  my  doorj  I  should  have  hid 
myself.  Here,  however,  no  shame  is  felt,  but  pleasure,  at  a 
visit  from  one  of  my  countrymen,  wrhom  I  shall  be  happy  to  meet 
again."  He  keeps  a  housemaid  only,  his  wife  doing  nearly  all 
the  drudgery  herself,  although  in  England,  a  lady,  unaccustomed 
to  soil  her  hands,  or  let  her  feet  stray  from  the  parlour  carpet. 

I  had  a  long  and  interesting  conversation  with  a  young  law- 
yer, the  supreme  Judge  Hart,  living  in  this  town,  but  proscribed 
and  suspended  for  sending  a  challenge  to  three  agents  of  his 
estates  in  Kentucky,  who,  after,  injuring  him,  caricatured  him, 
and  then  refused  to  fight.  The  judge  says  that  English  labourers 
know  nothing,  and  are  worth  nothing  in  agriculture  here;  hewing, 
splitting,  clearing,  grubbing,  and  ploughing  among  roots,  being  a 
business  which  they  do  not,  and  wish  not,  to  understand.  It  is 
true  that  they  are  handy  with  the  spade,  and  that  only.  They 
feel  too  free  to  work  in  earnest,  or  at  all,  above  two  or  three  days  in 
a  week.  Every  English  body  here  is  above  work,  except  the  good 
little  farmer,  like  your  friend,  John  Ingle,  and  old  Phillips,  the 
former  of  whom  is  likely  to  kill  himself  with  hard  work.  He  was 
sick  twice  in  consequence,  and  once  nearly  unto  death.  Mrs. 
Ingle  and  her  husband  gain  and  deserve  a  good  name,  and  feel 
happy  and  contented  on  a  good  farm,  which  is  too  near  the  road. 
They  bought  a  log-house,  town  lot,  pro  tempore,  at  Princeton,  at  a 
forced  sale,  for  300  dollars;  which  they  now  let  for  forty  dollars  a 
year,  to  Mr.  and  Miss  Fordham,  Flower's  nephew  and  niece,  who 
were  sick  of  the  prairie  of  Illinois,  where  health  could  not  attend 
them.  Your  friend,  J.  Ingle,  lost  his  horses  for  three  weeks.  He 
is  expecting  more  of  his  English  friends  to  follow  him.  Mr.  Birk- 
beck  is  disappointed  and  unhappy;  I  know  him  well.  He  has  not 
cultivated  nor  raised,  as  yet,  any  thing  from  his  land,  although 
the  Harmonites  refused  to  sell  him  produce,  because  they  thought 
it  was  his  duty  to  raise  it  himself,  and  plainly  told  him  so.  He 
will  never  make  a  farmer,  nor  money  by  farming  there.  It  is 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  303 

idle  to  attempt  to  import  English  labourers  for  the  use  of  your- 
selves exclusively,  for  Birkbeck  and  Flower  lost  all.  The  same, 
says  Mr.  Pittiss,  late  of  the  Isle  of  Wight.  Women  and  girls,  too, 
are  here  above  assisting  in  the  house,  at  a  price  per  day  or  week. 
Wives  and  daughters  must  do  all  themselves.  The  girl,  or  white 
servant,  if  one  can  now  and  then  be  had,  at  one  dollar  per  week 
and  board,  is  pert  and  proud  as  her  mistress,  and  has  her  parasol  at 
six  dollars,  and  bonnet  at  ten  or  twelve  dollars,  and  other  articles 
in  character,  which,  as  dress  generally  does  with  all  grades,  seduces 
them  from  a  virtuous  regard  of  their  duties,  says  this  young  and 
sprightly  lawyer.  People  here,  though  poor  and  idle,  feel  above 
thieving,  the  facility  of  living  without,  and  the  certainty  of  expo- 
sure and  summary  punishment,  seem  to  conquer  the  propensity, 
where  it  may  happen  to  exist. 

I  feel  convinced  that  none  but  working  farmers,  like  John 
Ingle,  ought  to  come  to  this  western  land.  Water  is  bad,  white,  or 
milk}-,  at  Princeton;  but  beds  are  good,  with  the  bed-room  doors 
next  the  street,  unlocked  all  night,  in  order  that  ingress  and  egress 
may  be  free,  which  is  the  more  necessary,  as  there  are,  as  is  very 
generally  the  case  here,  none  of  those  accommodations,  either 
within  or  without  doors,  which  an  Englishmen  looks  upon  as  quite 
indispensable. 

I  met  and  talked  with  old  Squire  M'Intosh,  who,  although  he 
has  lived  35  years  here,  away  from  his  dear  native  Scotland,  still 
regrets  it.  "I  now  live,"  says  the  squire,  "on  the  grand  rapids  of 
the  big  Wabash,  a  mile  above  the  White  River  ferry;  call  and 
spend  a  night  with  me  on  your  way  to  Birkbeck's  settlement, 
which  is  the  reverse  of  every  thing  wrhich  he  has  written  of  it,  and 
described  it  to  be.  The  neighbourhood,  however,  do  not  think 
he  intended  to  misrepresent  and  deceive,  but  that  he  wrote  too 
soon,  and  without  knowing  the  real  state  of  things,  and  under- 
standing his  subject,  or  knowing  where  to  find  the  best  land.  He 
ought  to  have  examined,  in  company  with  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  sur- 
veyors; he  would  not  then  have  entered  land  in  the  lump,  or  mass, 
a  great  deal  of  which  is  not  good,  nor  ever  can  be,  being  wet, 
swampy,  cold  prairies,  something  like  undrained  marshes  in  Eng- 
land. Mr.  Birkbeck  entered  much  at  the  land-office,  but  sold  lit- 
tle, only  such  half  sections  as  he  ought  to  have  bought  and  kept 
for  himself  and  friends.  Mr.  Phillips,  on  whom  you  have  just 
called,  say  the  gentlemen  round  me,  is  the  slave  of  his  own  Eng- 
lish notions  and  passions;  he  is,  therefore,  always  hesitating  and 
undecided;  sometimes,  when  things  run  crossly  and  crooked,  he  is 


304  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

seen  and  heard  heartily  execrating  this  country  and  people;  and, 
at  other  times,  he  is  well  pleased.  He  is  an  odd  man,  surrounded 
with  eight  fierce  dogs,  and  has  a  fine,  never-failing  mill  spring, 
running  a  mile  through  his  farm,  which,  one  year  ago,  cost  20 
dollars,  but  is  now  worth  only  ten  dollars  an  acre,  with  all  improve- 
ments. This  is  turning  a  penny  quickly!  Despatch  is  the  life 
and  soul  of  business." 

4th. — The  Supreme  Judge,  Hart,  is  a  gay  young  man  of  twen- 
ty-five, full  of  wit  and  humorous  eloquence,  mixing  with  all  com- 
panies at  this  tavern,  where  he  seems  neither  above  nor  below 
any,  dressed  in  an  old  white  beaver  hat,  coarse  threadbare  coat 
and  trowsers  of  the  same  cloth  (domestic,)  and  yellow  striped, 
waistcoat,  with  his  coat  out  at  the  elbows;  yet  very  cleanly  in  his 
person,  and  refined  in  his  language.  What  can  be  the  inducement 
for  a  young  man,  like  him,  equal  to  all  things,  to  live  thus,  and 
here? 

Judge  Hart  deems  merchandizing  to  be  the  most  profitable 
pursuit  in  the  west,  and  the  liberal  professions  the  last  and 
worst. 

Mr.  Nicholls,  a  cunning  Caledonian,  says,  that  farming,  except 
near  the  rivers,  cannot  answer;  but  raising  and  feeding  cattle 
and  pigs  may.  Store  keeping  is  here  evidently  the  best  of  all 
employments,  if  cents  and  .  dollars  enter  into  the  estimate. 
Money  spent  in  improving  land  is  seldom  more  than  returned  with 
interest,  and  often  lost  by  reselling  or  selling  out,  especially  if 
the  labour  is  not  all  done  by  the  farmer;  and  if  it  is  done  by  his  own 
instead  of  hired  hands,  he  is  not  more  than  fairly  paid  for  his  time 
and  labour,  which  are  both  money.  It  is  therefore  best  for  the  mere 
capitalist  to  buy  rather  than  make  all  the  improvements,  as  he 
certainly  buys  them  much  cheaper  than  he  can  create  them.  He 
should  confine  himself  to  the  east. 

Mr.  Phillips,  the  English  gentleman  on  whom  I  called  yester- 
day, returned  my  call  this  evening.  He  seems  a  mass  of  con- 
tradiction, and  states  that  this  western  country  is  the  best  he 
knows,  but  that  it  costs  more  to  live  in  it  than  in  London;  that 
it  is  idle  for  a  farmer  to  raise  more  produce  than  he  can  use  him- 
self; but  that  there  are  farmers  making  money  as  fast  as  they  can 
count  it,  by  raising  large  quantities  of  farm  produce  in  this  and 
the  neighbouring  state  of  Illinois;  that  others  might  do  the 
same;  that  there  is  now  a  market  better  than  in  the  east,  and  that 
in  five  or  seven  years  the  market  at  New  Orleans  down  the  river 
will  be  good  and  great;  yet  that  the  parties  to  whom  you  must  sell 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  305 

are  all  d—  — d  rogues.  Feeding  beef  and  pork  he  deems  a  good 
trade,  especially  when  the  land  shall  come  to  be  clovered  and  sown 
with  other  grass  seeds.  He  thinks  there  is  little  or  no  good  beef 
in  the  wilderness,  because  it  is  raised  and  fed  on  natural  wild 
vegetables,  many  of  which  are  ill-flavoured  and  poisonous. 
Beasts  often  die  suddenly  in  the  fall  of  the  year  in  consequence 
of  being  confined  to  such  food.  The  natural  white  clover,  in  the 
month  of  June,  salivates  cattle  and  horses,  which,  however,  still 
devour  it  greedily,  and  seem  to  thrive  thereon. 

Our  party  this  evening  were  all  agreed  in  this  particular; 
that  the  western  country  is  only  fit  for  the  little  hard-working 
farmer  with  a  small  capital.  He  must  live,  and  better  than  he 
could  elsewhere,  on  and  from  the  productions  of  his  own  hands 
and  lands.  He  can  retail  his  produce,  and  be  gardener  and  farmer 
both;  vegetables  every  where  being  scarce  and  dear,  because  peo- 
ple are  too  idle  to  raise  them.  Wholesale  farmers  from  England 
expecting  to  cultivate  from  300  to  1,000  acres,  and  sell  the  farm 
produce  in  lumps,  will  come  here  only  to  be  disappointed.  Small 
retailing  farmers  only  are  wanted  here.  Mr.  Phillips  deems  that 
Birkbeck,  Flower,  and  Mr.  Dunlop  of  London,  who  have  bought 
so  many  thousands  of  acres,  and  the  latter  of  whom  pays  treble 
tax  as  a  non-resident,  will  greatly  benefit  at  some  future  time  by 
capital  so  employed,  although  they  may  never  cultivate  an  acre, 
or  touch  the  land.  The  capital  seems  to  be  idle  and  sleeps,  but 
it  will  one  day,  he  thinks,  awake,  and  find  itself  gigantically 
augmented.  Mr.  Phillips,  whose  opinion  is  not  respected  here, 
was  never  a  farmer  until  he  came  here.  His  improvements  do 
honour  to  his  intuition. 

General  Evans,  who  this  day  formed  one  of  our  circle,  is  in 
part  the  owner  of  this  town  of  Princeton,  and  of  Evansville,  which 
bears  his  name.  He  is  a  pleasant,  rustic,  middle-aged  man,  living 
here  in  a  little  log-house,  together  with  his  lady  and  daughter, 
who,  having  no  servant,  do  all  the  work  of  their  establishment 
themselves.  Servants  are  not  to  be  had.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  all  the  rest  of  the  inhabitants.  Envy  and  invidious  compar- 
isons have,  therefore,  no  place  at  Princeton. 

General  Boon,  during  the  last  war,  (says  the  General)  lost  two 
sons  killed;  and  his  favourite  daughter  and  her  friend  were  stolen 
by  the  Indians,  who  marched  the  fair  captives  two  days  without 
resting,  and  intended  marrying  them,  but  were  overtaken  by  the 
colonel  and  his  son,  and  a  lover  of  the  lady.  The  young  couple, 
previous  to  this  event,  were  on  the  point  of  marriage,  and  are  now 

T— 20 


306  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

living  as  husband  and  wife  in  Kentucky.  The  captives  cunningly 
indented  the  ground  all  the  way  from  the  Colonel's  house  with 
their  high-heeled  shoes,  so  that  they  might  be  tracked;  and 
when  they  saw  their  brave  deliverers  coming  up  full  speed,  they 
fell  flat  on  the  earth,  while  the  firing  of  rifles  commenced  on  the 
Indians,  who  tried  in  vain  to  kill  their  fair  prisoners  by  throwing 
their  knives  and  tomahawks  at  them;  but  the  pursuers  triumphed, 
and  all  were  recovered  and  restored  unhurt.  General  Boon  now 
lives  in  solitude  600  miles  up  the  remote  Missouri.  He  is  80 
years  old,  very  active,  very  poor,  a  hunter  and  a  recluse  by  choice, 
and  trains  up  his  sons  in  the  same  path,  feeling  more  happiness 
than  he  possibly  could  in  society,  where  he  would  have  lived 
and  died,  if  he  had  willed  it,  full  of  scars,  and  honours,  and  days. 
His  parents  were  always  poor;  his  disposition  is  kind  and  hos- 
pitable; his  manners  simple  and  gentle;  preferring  to  live  meanly 
and  rudely  as  a  hardy  hunter  and  squatter,  wanting  nothing 
but  what  nature  gives  him,  and  his  own  hands  get  him.  He 
sleeps  on  a  -bear-skin,  and  clothes  himself  in  dressed  deer-skin, 
and  though  shy,  is  kind  to  intruding  strangers.  The  western  coun- 
try is  indebted  to  him,  as  he  leads  the  way  into  the  best  spots  of  the 
wilderness.  He  was  the  first  white  man  in  Old  Kentucky,  and  the 
wide,  wild  west  is  full  of  his  licks.  A  flourishing  settlement  always 
rises  wherever  he  has  once  squatted,  and  whenever  any  settlers 
begin  to  approach  near  his  location,  he  quits  it  for  ever,  and  moves 
on  further  west;  and  the  place,  which  he  thus  abandons,  is  called 
Boon's  Lick.  He  never  wants  much  land;  only  a  spot  sufficient 
for  the  supply  of  his  household. 

I  saw  a  man  this  day  with  his  face  sadly  disfigured.  He 
had  lost  his  nose,  bitten  off  close  down  to  its  root,  in  a  fight  with  a 
nose-loving  neighbour. 

Judge  Hart  deems  it  foolish  policy  in  English-men  wishing  to 
form  English  settlements  and  neighbourhoods,  and  thereby  to 
perpetuate  English  distinctions  and  prejudices,  so  offensive  to 
their  adopted  country,  and  so  unprofitable  to  themselves.  Noth- 
ing is  good  with  them  but  what  is  English,  whereas  they  should 
rather  endeavor  to  forget  the  name,  which  ever  kindles  unfriendly 
feelings. 

I  saw  a  fine  fat  buck,  fat  as  a  Lincolnshire  wether  sheep,  and 
weighing,  when  dressed  and  with  the  head  off,  140  Ibs.  It  sold  for 
two  dollars,  less  than  three  farthings  per  pound. 

Politeness,  in  manner  and  address,  is  more  necessary  here  than 
in  Bond-street,  for  here  you  invariably  receive  it,  and  to  give  it  in 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  307 

return  is  justly  due.  The  titles,  "Sir"  and  "Madam,"  (not  Ma'am) 
are  pleasant  to  and  expected  by  all ;  for  however  mean  may  be  the 
exterior  of  a  citizen  of  this  free,  equal  country,  there  is  a  spirit  and 
an  intelligence,  and  often  sprightliness  about  him,  which  decorate 
any  thing  and  make  even  rags  respectable. 

Two  months  ago  the  High  Sheriff  of  Chilicothe,  Ohio,  went  to 
jail  for  want  of  bail.  He  had  siezed,  personally,  on  the  funds  of 
the  United  States'  branch  bank.  This  was  hard! 

Birkbeck,  (say  my  companions)  complained  at  first  of  our 
slovenly  state  of  things,  and  the  indolence  of  farmers  and  labour- 
ers, and  boasted  of  what  might  be  done,  and  what  he  should  do, 
but  has,  at  the  end  of  four  years,  done  nothing  but  talk  of  doing. 
The  facility  of  a  living  for  all,  and  the  consequent  difficulty  of 
procuring  labour,  even  for  money,  together  with  the  sickly,  relax- 
ing warmth  of  the  climate,  are  obstacles  which  overwhelm  all 
industry.  The  principal  care  is  how  to  live  easy.  Time,  and  not 
man,  effectually  clears  and  improves  land  in  this  country.  Time 
here  changes  his  character,  and  preserves  and  replenishes,  while 
man  destroys  and  wears  out  what  he  can. 

The  reason  (says  Judge  Hart)  why  Scotchmen  always  get 
money,  in  this  and  all  other  lands  to  which  they  wander,  is,  because 
they  leave  no  means  untried. 

The  season,  called  the  Indian  summer,  which  here  commences 
in  October,  by  a  dark  blue  hazy  atmosphere,  is  caused  by  mil- 
lions of  acres,  for  thousands  of  miles  round,  being  in  a  wide- 
spreading,  flaming,  blazing,  smoking  fire,  rising  up  through  wood 
and  prairie,  hill  and  dale,  to  the  tops  of  low  shrubs  and  high  trees, 
which  are  kindled  by  the  coarse,  thick,  long,  prairie  grass,  and  dy- 
ing leaves,  at  every  point  of  the  compass,  and  far  beyond  the 
foot  of  civilization,  darkening  the  air,  heavens  and  earth,  over  the 
whole  extent  of  the  northern  and  part  of  the  southern  continent, 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  and  in  neighbourhoods  con- 
tiguous to  the  all-devouring  conflagration,  filling  the  whole 
horizon  with  yellow,  palpable,  tangible  smoke,  ashes,  and  vapour, 
which  affect,  the  eyes  of  man  and  beast,  and  obscure  the  sun, 
moon,  and  stars,  for  many  days,  or  until  the  winter  rains  descent 
to  quench  the  fire  and  purge  the  thick  ropy  air,  which  is  seen, 
tasted,  handled,  and  felt. 

So  much  for  an  Indian  summer,  which  partakes  of  the  vulgar 
idea  of  the  infernal.  Why  called  Indian?  Because  these  fires 
seem  to  have  originated  with  the  native  tribes,  and  are  now  per- 
petuated by  the  White  Hunters,  who  by  these  means  start, 


308  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

disturb,  and  pen  up  the  game,  and  destroy  the  dens  of  both  man 
and  beast,  and  all  this  with  impunity. 

To-morrow,  through  floods  and  flames,  I  shall  endeavour  to 
make  good  my  desperate  way  to  the  retreat  of  my  good  friend, 
John  Ingle,  in  Indiana. 

6^. — At  nine,  a.  m.  I  left  Princeton  on  a  horse  carrying 
double,  me  and  my  guide,  through  the  wilderness,  to  my  friend 
John  Ingle's,  who  had  sent  the  said  horse  and  boy  twenty-five 
miles  for  my  accommodation.  The  little  town  just  quitted,  and  at 
which  I  paid  the  extravagant  price  of  two  dollars  a  day  for  board, 
has  nineteen  streets,  and  about  one  hundred  and  five  houses,  one 
prison,  and  one  meeting-house,  or  church,  all  of  wood;  one  supreme 
judge,  and  four  other  judges;  and  in  the  unpeopled  county  are 
another  quorum  of  judges,  and  three  generals.  It  is  called  Prince- 
ton, in  honour  of  its  living  founder,  Judge  Prince. 

We  rode  all  day  through  thick  smoke  and  fire,  which  sometimes 
met  in  pillar-like  arches  across  the  road,  and  compelled  us  to  wait 
awhile,  or  turn  aside.  We  passed  only  one  comfortable  abode, 
and  three  or  four  filthy  one-room  logrholes,  surrounded  by  small 
patches,  cleared  samples  of  the  bulk,  which  seems  good  land.  I 
called  at  one  of  the  three,  a  tavern,  to  beg  for  bread,  but  got 
none;  only  some  whiskey.  I  saw  a  deer-lick,  at  which  I  dis- 
mounted and  took  a  lick.  The  earth  thus  licked  and  excavated  by 
many  tongues,  is  of  the  colour  of  fuller's  earth,  not  ill-flavoured,  but 
a  little  salt  and  saponaceous,  always  attractive  to  the  beasts  of  the 
forest. 

At  five  o'clock,  p.  m.,  I  reached  the  welcome  abode  of  my 
Huntingdonshire  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Ingle,  who,  together 
with  their  English  maid-servant,  Rebecca,  and  six  children,  rushed 
out  to  embrace  and  welcome  their  old  friend,  school-fellow, 
neighbour,  and  fellow-countryman,  and  great  was  the  joy  of  our 
meeting. 

Here  I  found  good  sweet  bread,  like  the  English,  and  hot 
corn-cake,  and  supped,  on  what  I  supposed  fine  pork  steaks. 
"This  meat  (said  I  to  Mr.  Ingle)  is  most  delicious."  "Well 
then,  you  like  it,  do  you?"  "I  do  indeed."  "What  do  you  think 
it  is?"  "Why,  pork  to  be  sure."  "Well,  we  thought  we  would 
not  tell  you  until  after  supper,  lest  you  should  fancy  it  was  not 
good  and  refuse  to  eat  Bear."  "Oh,"  said  I,  "if  this  be  bear,  give 
me  bear  for  ever." 

My  friend's  log-house,  as  a  first,  is  one  of  the  best  I  have 
seen,  having  one  large  room  and  a  chamber  over  it,  to  which  you 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  309 

climb  by  a  ladder.  It  has,  at  present,  no  windows,  but  when  the 
doors  are  shut  the  crevices  between  the  rough  logs  admit  light  and 
air  enough,  above  and  below.  It  is  five  yards  square  and  twenty 
feet  high.  At  a  little  distance  stand  a  stable  for  two  horses,  a  corn 
crib,  a  pig-stye,  and  a  store;  for  storekeeping  is  his  intention,  and 
it  is  a  good  one.  Two  beds  in  the  room  below,  and  one  above, 
lodge  us  in  the  following  manner;  myself  and  Mr.  Ingle  in  one 
bed;  in  the  second,  by  our  side,  sleep  six  fine  but  dirty  children; 
and  in  the  chamber,  Mrs.  Ingle  and  a  valuable  English  maid. 
Thus  on  my  account,  husband  and  wife  were  divided.  It  is  not 
unusual  for  a  male  and  female  to  sleep  in  the  same  room  uncur- 
tained, holding  conversation  while  in  bed.  In  a  yard  adjoining  the 
house  are  three  sows  and  pigs  half  starved,  and  several  cows,  calves, 
and  horses,  very  poor,  having  no  grass,  no  pasture,  but  with  bells 
about  their  necks,  eternally  ringing.  Shame,  or  rather  what  is  called 
false  shame,  or  delicacy,  does  not  exist  here.  Males  dress  and 
undress  before  the  females,  and  nothing  is  thought  of  it.  Here  is  no 
servant.  The  maid  is  equal  to  the  master.  No  boy,  or  man-servant. 
No  water,  but  at  half  a  mile  distant.  Mr.  Ingle  does  all  the  jobs,  and 
more  than  half  the  hewing,  splitting,  and  ploughing.  He  is  all  econ- 
omy, all  dirty-handed  industry.  No  wood  is  cut  in  readiness  for 
morning  fires.  He  and  the  axe  procure  it,  and  provender  for  the  poor 
hungry  cattle,  pigs,  and  horses.  His  time  is  continually  occupied, 
and  the  young  boys  just  breeched  are  made  useful  in  every  pos- 
sible way. 

Nothing  is  English  here  but  friendship  and  good-will.  Ameri- 
can labourers  here,  as  usual,  are  very  villainous;  one,  a  preacher, 
took  a  piece  of  land  to  clear  for  my  friend,  and  received,  before  he 
began,  forty  dollars  on  account,  but  refused  to  perform  his  con- 
tract. To  sue  him  was  idle.  My  friend,  in  the  presence  of  the 
fellow's  son,  called  him  a  right  reverend  rascal  and  thief.  "Call 
him  so  again,"  said  the  son,  doubling  his  fist  ready  to  strike. 
My  friend  repeated  it,  and  taking  up  an  axe,  said.  "Now  strike, 
but  if  you  do,  as  I  was  never  yet  afraid  of  a  man,  I'll  chop  you  into 
rails."  Money  rarely  procures  its  value  in  labour.  He  deems  that 
as  much  money  is  to  be  made  from  200  acres  of  land  here,  as  in 
England,  while  here  the  land  is  made  your  own.  To  do  that  in 
England,  is  the  top  of  a  farmer's  ambition.  Here,  a  man  can 
make  all  that  he  cultivates  his  own.  He  says  that  he  shall  live 
and  gain  money  this  first  year,  though  only  sixteen  acres  are  in 
cultivation.  Mrs.  Ingle,  maid,  and  children,  suffered  much  in 
crossing  the  sea  and  mountains.  They  slept  on  the  floor,  in  a  hole, 


310  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

with  waggoners,  and  other  male  blackguards,  where  the  stench, 
both  by  sea  and  land,  was  little  short  of  pestilential. 

Sunday,  7th. — More  than  half  last  night,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ingle, 
and  maid,  were  out  in  the  woods  extinguishing  the  wide  spreading 
fires,  which  threatened  to  consume  their  fences,  houses,  and  corn- 
fields. The  whole  horizon  was  brilliantly  illuminated.  These 
fires,  if  not  arrested,  or  watched,  sweep  away  houses,  stacks  of 
corn  and  hay,  and  every  thing  within  reach.  So  fared  Mr.  Grant, 
late  of  Chatteris,  who  is  now  dead.  The  sound  of  the  axe,  split- 
ting fire-wood,  salutes  the  ear  every  morning,  instead  of  the  birds' 
song.  I  was  smoked  to  death  all  night;  our  friends  rested  all  day 
absent  from  meeting,  but  still  the  knees  of  all  present  were  bent  to 
the  God  of  their  good  fathers.  Sunday  passes  unnoticed  in  the 
English  prairie,  except  by  hunting  and  cricket  matches. 

The  bears,  during  the  summer',  are  lean  and  hungry,  and  seize 
the  hogs  and  eat  them  alive.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  see 
hogs  escape  home  with  the  loss  of  a  pound  or  two  of  living  flesh. 
These  creatures  sleep  all  the  winter  quite  fat.  Rattle-snakes 
abound  here.  Mr.  Ingle  killed  four  or  five  beautiful  snakes  of  this 
species  this  summer,  and  one  or  two  vipers. 

8th. — I  accompanied  J.  Ingle,  and  water-cart,  to  the  spring, 
half  a  mile  off,  on  the  farm  of  Major  Hooker,  a  hunter,  who  sold  us 
half  a  fat  buck  at  three  cents  a  pound;  thus  killing  and  selling 
from  four  to  six  per  week,  besides  turkeys,  pheasants,  rabbits, 
racoons,  squirrels,  and  bears.  This  half  buck,  weighing  70  pounds, 
Mr.  Indie  carried  home  on  a  shoulder-stick.  The  major's,  and 
other  families  here,  raise  cotton  for  domestic  uses,  which,  in  warm 
and  dry  seasons,  flourishes  well.  What  I  saw  in  pods,  and  that 
which  the  women  were  spinning,  seemed  of  excellent  quality.  The 
seed  of  this  plant  was,  in  slave  states,  thought  nutritious  enough, 
when  boiled,  for  the  support  of  negroes;  but  as  many  died  in  using 
it,  it  was  abandoned 

The  China  leaf,  or  tea-plant,  has  been  propagated  at 
Princeton,  in  Mr.  Devan's  garden,  and  at  Harmony,  from  seed 
brought  from  China.  It  is  said  to  grow  luxuriantly,  yielding  more 
leaf  than  is  used,  and  making  a  useful  decoction,  similar  in  flavour, 
though  not  so  pleasant,  as  that  procured  from  the  imported  plant. 
It  is  manufactured  by  sweating  it  in  an  oven,  and  when  taken  out, 
it  cools  and  curls  up,  and  becomes  fit  for  use.  The  indigo  also  is  a 
little  cultivated.  The  woods  abound  with  medical  herbs.  The 
Ching  Sang  and  Ipecacuanha  are  found,  for  emetics.  The  vine  is 
very  luxuriant,  and  cultivated  at  Harmony  with  success;  while 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  311 

the  trees  are  full  of  gum.  The  Dogwood  Bark  is  also  found  as 
efficient  as  the  Peruvian,  and  the  Sassafras  tea  is  in  general  use 
for  two  or  three  months. 

Great  idleness  prevails  in  the  Illinois;  little  or  no  produce  is  yet 
raised.  G.  Flower  had  contracted  with  the"  American  hunters,  to 
raise  and  cultivate  500  acres  of  corn  and  grain;  he  finding  land  and 
seed,  and  they  all  the  labour  of  raising  and  getting  it  fit  for  market, 
at  nine  dollars  an  acre.  This  bargain  became  void. 

9th. — A  doctor,  of  little  or  no  skill,  lives  twelve  miles  distant, 
and  this  little  settlement  of  Sandersville  has  no  school  for  the  chil- 
dren, who  remain  at  home  pestering  their  parents,  and  retrograd- 
ing into  barbarism.  Mrs.  Ingle  dreads  their  mixing  and  associat- 
ing with  the  race  of  children  who  surround  them.  A  schoolmaster 
here  would  be  welcomed  with  a  salary  of  from  400  to  500  dollars  a 
year,  although  not  one  of  the  first  grade,  but  he  must  be  content 
to  live  in  a  wilderness. 

I  feel,  every  day,  more  and  more  convinced  that  the  western 
country  is  suited  only  to  working  families,  like  those  of  J.  Ingle; 
where  Mrs.  Ingle,  (delicately  bred)  and  all  turn  out  to  work,  as 
today,  and  the  other  night  to  put  out  the  approaching  fires. 

The  bears  and  wolves  have  devoured  several  sows  while  far- 
rowing; they  are  then  weak  and  defenceless,  and  therefore  an  easy 
prey.  "Never  did  I  behold  such  ghostly  pigs  as  here.  Soap, 
candles,  sugar,  cotton,  leather,  and  woolen  clothes,  of  a  good  qual- 
ity,  are  here  all  made  from  the  land,  but  not  without  the  most 
formidable,  unremitting  industry  on  the  part  of  the  females. 
Filth  and  rags,  however,  are  often  preferred.  Imperious  neces- 
sity alone  commands  extraordinary  exertion.  Yesterday,  a  set- 
tler passed  our  door  with  a  bushel  of  corn-meal  on  his  back,  for 
which  he  had  travelled  twenty  miles,  on  foot,  to  the  nearest  horse- 
mill,  and  carried  it  ten  miles,  paying  75  cents  for  it.  This  said 
corn  is  invaluable  to  both  man  and  beast;  black  and  white  men 
both  profess  to  think  they  should  starve  on  wheat  meal  without 
corn. 

The  everlasting  sound  of  falling  trees,  which,  being  under- 
mined by  the  fires,  are  falling  around  almost  every  hour,  night 
and  day,  produces  a  sound  loud  and  jarring  as  the  discharge  of 
ordnance,  and  is  a  relief  to  the  dreary  silence  of  these  wilds,  only 
broken  by  the  axe,  the  gun,  or  the  howlings  of  wild  beasts. 

Retrograding  and  barbarizing  is  an  easy  process.  Far  from  the 
laws  and  restraints  of  society,  and  having  no  servants  to  do  that  for 
us  which  was  once  daily  done,  we  become  too  idle  in  time  to  do 


312  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

any  thing,  but  that  which  nature  and  necessity  require;  pride  and 
all  stimuli  forsake  us,  for  we  find  ourselves  surrounded  only  by 
men  of  similar  manners;  hence,  the  face  is  seldom  shaved,  or 
washed,  or  the  linen  changed  except  on  washing-days.  The 
shoes  are  cleaned,  perhaps,  never;  for  if,  indeed,  a  servant,  from 
England,  is  kept,  he,  or  she,  is  on  a  happy  equality,  rising  up  last 
and  lying  down  first,  and  eating  freely  at  the  same  time  and  table. 
None  here  permit  themselves  to  have  a  master,  but  negroes. 

A  voyage  in  the  stinking  steerage  of  a  ship,  and  then  a  journey 
over  the  mountains  in  waggons,  sometimes  camping  out  all 
night,  or  sleeping,  like  pigs,  as  did  Mrs.  Ingle  and  six  children 
and  maid,  on  the  dirty  floor  of  a  bar-room,  amongst  blackguards, 
and  then  floating  in  a  little  stinking  ark.  full  of  unclean  things,  will 
prepare  the  mind  and  body  for  barbarizing  in  a  little  log-hole,  like 
that  in  which  I  dined  yesterday,  belonging  to  Mr.  Ferrel,  who,  with 
his  family,  some  adults,  male  and  female,  in  all  ten  souls,  sleep 
in  one  room,  fifteen  feet  by  ten,  only  half  floored,  and  in  three 
beds,  standing  on  a  dirt  floor.  The  table,  or  thing  so  called,  is 
formed  by  two  blocks  and  a  broad  board  laid  on  them,  and  cov- 
ered with  a  cloth,  and  seats  or  forms,  in  like  manner,  on  each 
side  of  the  table,  which  is  only  knee-high.  Proper  chairs  and 
tables,  they  have  none.  When  it  rains,  boards  are  laid  over  the 
chimney  top,  (which  I  can  reach  with  my  hand)  to  prevent  the 
rain  putting  the  fires  out.  This  good-natured  man  has  thus  set- 
tled and  removed,  eight  times,  from  one  degree  of  barbarism  to 
another.  The  victuals  are  served  up  in  a  hand-bason;  and  thus 
one  room  serves  for  parlour,  kitchen,  hall,  bed-room,  and  pantry. 
The  settlers,  too,  here,  are  without  implements,  but  such  as  they 
can  patch  and  form  together  of  themselves;  they  are  too  distant 
and  expensive  to  buy.  What  they  have  must  cost  nothing,  like 
their  houses,  which  are  raised  in  a  day  by  the  neighbours  all 
meeting  together,  so  going  in  turn  to  serve  each  other,  as  we  did 
yesterday. 

•  10th. — Mr.  Peck,  late  of  Chatteris,  introduced  himself  to  me 
this  day.  Born  and  bred  a  labourer,  he  at  length  became  a 
little  farmer,  on  the  dearest  land  in  Chatteris,  from  which  he 
-brought  a  wife,  four  daughters,  one  son,  a  man,  and  500L;  all,  the 
perfection  of  British  industry.  Feeling  themselves  likely  to  lose 
all,  they  came  here  to  two  quarter  sections,  costing  145L  to  be 
paid,  in  three  years,  by  instalments;  so  leaving  355L  for  stock, 
seed  corn,  and  housekeeping,  until  they  shall  have  cleared  twenty 
acres,  and  raised  produce.  He  begged  I  would  come  and  dine  with 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  313 

him,  so  that  I  might  hear  particulars  of  his  former  state,  present 
condition  and  prospects,  and  be  able  to  tell  his  old  neighbours  of 
his  comforts  and  satisfaction.  "Now,"  says  he,  "I  feel  I  can  live, 
and  live  well,  by  working,  and  without  fretting  and  working,  seven- 
teen, out  of  the  twenty-four  hours,  all  the  year  round,  as  I  used  to 
do  at  Chatteris.  And  what  is  sweeter  than  all,  I  feel  I  am  now 
the  owner  of  300  acres  of  land,  all  paid  for,  and  free  from  all  poor- 
rates,  parsons,  and  tax-gathers,  and  that  I  shall  be  able  to  give 
and  leave  each  of  my  children,  100  acres  of  good  land  to  work  upon, 
instead  of  the  highway,  or  Chatteris  work-house.  No  fear  of  their 
committees  now,  nor  of  Ely  jail." 

It  was  pleasant  to  witness  the  boasting  satisfaction  of  this 
good,  honest  fellow,  and  his  family  of  young  Pecks. 

I  saw  an  old,  dirty,  stinking  Irishman,  very  well  to  do,  settled 
on  a  quarter  section  here,  but  who  says,  were  it  not  for  his  family, 
he  could  do  better  in  Ireland;  and  therefore,  for  the  sake  of  his 
family,  the  is  content  to  live  a  little  longer,  and  die  here.  They  will 
be  better  off.  He  came  to  breakfast  with  us,  and  borrowed  a 
razor  to  shave  his  beard,  for  once,  instead  of  clipping  it  off. 

Meeting  Mr.  Hornbrook,  the  first  settler  here,  I  said  to  him, 
"How  is  it,  that  you,  and  others,  can  do  with  such  houses  here, 
when  you  had  such  comfortable  ones  in  England."  "Oh,"  said 
he,  "after  our  voyage  and  journey,  we  are  glad  to  get  into  any 
hole,  although  we  know,  that  in  England,  they  would  think  them 
not  good  enough  for  stables.' ' 

On  the  eve  of  this  day,  a  heavy  battering  rain  came,  and  put 
out  the  fires,  and  cleared  the  air,  and  poured  water  down  upon  our 
beds.  Great  lumps  of  the  clay,  or  daubing,  stuffed  between  the 
logs,  also  kept  falling  on  our  heads,  and  into  our  beds,  while  it 
rained.  We  needed  an  umbrella. 

Mrs.  Ingle,  a  woman  of  superior  sense  and  feeling,  states  that 
the  prospect  of  seeing  herself,  husband,  and  children  dependent 
on  grandfathers  and  grandmothers,  and  uncles  and  aunts,  and 
thereby  lessening  the  resources  of  two  distinct  and  worthy  families, 
impelled  them  to  emigrate.  It  ceased  almost  to  be  matter  of 
choice.  Still,  love  of  country,  former  friends  and  comforts,  from 
which  they  tore  themselves,  is  inextinguishable,  and  frequently  a 
source  of  painful  thought.  Such  a  good,  proud  feeling  is  very  hon- 
ourable, for  with  fair  play  in  England,  it  would  have  kept  them 
there,  and  increased  rather  than  diminished  the  resources  of  grand- 
fathers, &c. 

llth. — By  a  conversation  with  old  Ferrel,  I  find  he  began, 


314  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

thirty  years  ago,  with  nothing  but  his  own  hands.  Striking  each 
hand,  he  said,  "This  is  all  I  had  to  begin  with;"  and  it  seems,  that 
excepting  his  children,  he  has  little  more  now,  merely  a  quarter 
section  just  entered,  and  a  log  raised  on  it.  All  seem  very  improvi- 
dent and  extravagant,  the  family  sometimes  eating  four  or  five 
pounds  of  butter  a  day,  the  produce  of  all  their  cows.  Thus, 
with  the  corn-cake  and  bacon,  a  part  of  the  year,  (for  they  are 
almost  always  destitute  for  fresh  meat,  tea  and  sugar)  is  their 
table  supplied. 

Ferrel  is  a  man  of  experience  and  discernment,  and  states  that 
he  would  not  fetch  corn  from  Princeton,  twenty  miles  off,  of  a 
gift,  if  he  could  grow  it,  nor  would  he  carry  it  to  the  Ohio  for  sale, 
because  it  would  not  pay  carriage  and  expenses.  When  (if  ever) 
they  shall  have  surplus  produce,  he  will  give  it  to  pigs  and  cattle, 
which  will  walk  to  market.  He  always,  and  every  where,  had  a 
market  at  the  door,  and  he  always  expects  it,  because  of  the 
number  of  idle  people  who  do  not,  or  cannot  raise  produce.  He 
says,  that  as  Mr.  Ingle  was  no  judge  of  the  quality  of  land  here,  he 
has  chosen  that  which  is  not  lasting,  namely  black  oak  land.  It  is 
kind  and  useful,  but  after  three  crops,  he  will  see  and  believe, 
though  he  does  not  now,  that  his  old  American  neighbours  know 
and  have  got  the  best  land.  He  thinks  that  a  slave  state,  with 
negroes,  well  chosen,  is  the  best  for  capitalists,  who  need  not,  or 
cannot  work  themselves.  He  still  thinks  that  hiring  when  you 
can,  is  a  free  state  in  the  west,  may  sometimes  pay,  but  as  nearly 
all  feel  themselves  masters  instead  of  labourers,  it  is  impossible  to 
be  regularly  supplied  with  hands.  Kindness,  equality,  persuasion, 
and  good  pay  will  sometimes  effect  it.  He  says,  that  a  man  is 
seldom  more  than  paid  for  improvements. 

Supped  with  a  Mr.  Maidlow,  a  most  intelligent  and  respect- 
able Hampshire  farmer,  a  neighbour  of  Cobbett's,  who  left  Eng- 
land and  his  large  farm,  at  about  16s.  an  acre,  because,  from  a  fair 
trial,  he  found  it  impossible  to  farm  without  losing  money,  although 
his  wheat-land  averaged  six  quarters  an  acre,  and  his  landlord, — 
Jervis,  Esq.,  had  lowered  the  rent  20  per  cent.  He  brought  a 
considerable  capital  and  English  habits  and  feelings,  the  best  in 
the  world,  into  the  neatest  and  cleanest  log-cabin  that  I  have  seen, 
and  is  building  already  a  second,  larger  and  better,  for  the  preser- 
vation of  all  that  is  comfortable  and  respectable  in  the  English 
character,  being  determined  that  neither  himself  nor  family  shall 
barbarize.  This  is  impossible:  all  barbarize  here.  He  has  bought 
six  quarter  sections,  and  hopes  not  to  do  more  than  keep  his  prop- 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  315 

erty,  get  land  for  his  family,  and  live  and  die  comfortably.  Riches 
he  thinks  out  of  the  question,  and  it  is  his  wish  that  the  settle- 
ment should  feel  and  act  towards  each  other  as  one  family;  the 
reverse  of  Illinois,  in  which  he  intended  to  settle,  and  to  which  he 
was  attracted  by  the  books  of  Mr.  Birkbeck,  who  refused  him 
land,  except  at  an  advanced  price,  although  he  had  30,000  acres 
retained  for  people  in  England,  who  never  came;  while  those  who 
applied,  many  and  respectable  practical  farmers,  were  denied. 

The  settlers  here  being  all  out  of  wheat-flour  and  Indian  corn- 
meal,  Mr.  Ingle,  self,  a  boy,  and  two  children  began,  at  noon,  to 
gather  and  shell  ears  of  corn  for  grinding  into  meal,  and  finished 
two  bushels  by  night,  ready  for  the  mill,  ten  miles  off,  next  day; 
when  a  boy  on  a  horse  started  withit  early,  expecting  to  return  the 
following  Sunday  morning,  if  not  lost  in  the  woods. 

llth. — Visited  Mr.  Potts's  cabin  and  farm,  400  acres  of  good 
land,  on  which  he  lives,  without  a  woman,  but  has  a  good  man  from 
Stockport  in  Cheshire,  where  they  both  came  from,  and  thus  they 
alone  manage  both  the  house  and  the  field.  They  have  dug  a  well, 
many  feet  through  the  solid  rock,  without  finding  water.  I  saw 
here  an  experiment  which  I  little  expected  to  see;  the  eighth  of  an 
acre  of  upland  rice;  three  quarts  were  sown  on  it  in  May,  in  drills, 
eighteen  inches  asunder,  and  the  increase  is  three  bushels.  The 
straw  is  like  barley  straw,  and  the  stubble  rank  and  stout,  and  not 
to  be  known  from  oat  stubble,  on  rich  fen  land,  only  brighter. 

Saw  a  poor  Englishman,  who  some  time  since  broke  his  leg, 
which  from  want  of  skill  in  the  doctor,  was  not  properly  set;  he  is 
therefore  now  a  cripple  for  life.  This  is  an  evil  to  which  all  are 
exposed.  Many  are  now  dying  at  Evansville  of  a  bilious  disorder; 
the  doctor  employed  has  lost  nearly  all  who  applied. 

River  banks  are  here  always  unhealthy.  A  family  from  Lin- 
colnshire, attracted  by  fine  land,  on  one  of  the  prairie  creeks,  where 
no  American  would  live  on  any  terms,  all  fell  sick,  one  died,  and 
the  farmer  and  his  wife  both  lay  unable  to  help  themselves,  or 
get  help,  except  from  one  of  their  little  boys,  who  escaped  the 
contagion.  Birkbeck  strongly  remonstrated  with  them  against 
settling  there. 

The  farmers  (Americans)  indebted  to  the  store-keepers,  are 
now  forced  to  sell  all  their  corn  at  one  dollar  a  barrel,  and  buy  it 
again  for  their  spring  and  summer  use  at  five  dollars,  a  fine  profit 
for  the  monied  merchant.  Forty  bushels  per  acre  of  corn  pays  bet- 
ter (says  the  old  farmer)  than  wheat,  with  only  twenty  to  twenty- 


316  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

five.  The  land  here,  though  good,  is  not  first  rate,  or  of  the  most 
durable  quality. 

A  pigeon  roost  is  a  singular  sight  in  thinly  settled  states,  partic- 
ularly in  Tennessee  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  when  the  roost  extends 
over  either  a  portion  of  woodland  or  barrens,  from  four  to  six 
miles  in  circumference.  The  screaming  noise  they  make  when  thus 
roosting  is  heard  at  a  distance  of  six  miles;  and  when  the  beech- 
nuts are  ripe,  they  fly  200  miles  to  dinner,  in  immense  flocks,  hid- 
ing the  sun  and  darkening  the  air  like  a  thick  passing  cloud.  They 
thus  travel  400  miles  daily.  They  roost  on  the  high  forest  trees, 
which  they  cover  in  the  same  manner  as  bees  in  swarms  cover  a 
bush,  being  piled  one  on  the  other,  from  the  lowest  to  the  top- 
most boughs,  which  so  laden,  are  seen  continually  bending  and 
falling  with  their  crashing  weight,  and  presenting  a  scene  of  con- 
fusion and  destruction,  too  strange  to  describe,  and  too  dangerous 
to  be  approached  by  either  man  or  beast.  While  the  living  birds 
are  gone  to  their  distant  dinner,  it  is  common  for  man  and  animals 
to  gather  up  or  devour  the  dead,  then  found  in  cartloads.  When 
the  roost  is  among  the  saplings,  on  which  the  pigeons  alight  with- 
out breaking  them  down,  only  bending  them  to  the  ground,  the 
self -slaughter  is  not  so  great;  and  at  night,  men,  with  lanterns 
and  poles,  approach  and  beat  them  to  death  without  much  per- 
sonal danger.  But  the  grand  mode  of  taking  them  is  by  setting 
fire  to  the  high  dead  grass,  leaves,  and  shrubs  underneath,  in  a 
wide  blazing  circle,  fired  at  different  parts,  at  the  same  time,  so  as 
soon  to  meet.  Then  down  rush  the  pigeons  in  immense  numbers, 
and  indescribable  confusion,  to  be  roasted  alive,  and  gathered  up 
dead  next  day  from  heaps  two  feet  deep. 

13th. — Major  Hooker  frequently  shoots,  and  then  cooks  and 
eats  the  huge  wild  cats,  while  Mr.  Birkbeck  and  his  family  eat  the 
rattle-snake,  the  flesh  of  which,  says  Mr.  Ingle,  is  fine,  sweet,  and 
white,  as  an  eel.  Pigs  also  eat  them  voraciously.  Armstrong,  a 
hunting  farmer,  this  day  shot  four  deer,  while  he  is  too  idle  to 
inclose  his  cornfield,  which  is  devoured  by  cattle  and  horses,  save 
when  a  boy  watches  it  to  keep  them  off.  This  man  and  family 
then,  though  with  plenty  of  land,  must  buy  corn,  and  depend  upon 
wild  meat  for  the  support  of  his  idle  family,  who  have  either  a 
feast  or  a  famine.  They  keep  several  cows,  but  as  calves  are  con- 
stantly with  them  (having  no  separate  inclosure)  and  as  the  family 
eat  5  Ibs.  of  butter  a  day,  for  three  days  in  the  week,  which  con- 
sumes all  the  dairy  at  once,  they  go  without  during  the  remainder 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  317 

of  the  week.    They  never  sell  any,  though  it  is  25  cents  per  pound. 
No  fear  of  surplus  produce  from  such  farmers. 

The  hope,  it  seemed,  of  preserving  and  increasing  his  prop- 
erty, was  amongst  Mr.  Birkbeck's  ruling  motives  for  emigration. 
To  those  to  whom  he  is  known,  he  is  very  hearty  and  sociable. 
To  J.  Ingle  he  said,  "There  are  so  many  thousand  dollars  in  that 
drawer;  they  are  of  no  use  to  me:  go,  and  take  what  you  like." 
He  is  very  careless  and  improvident,  like  the  rest  of  his  literary 
fraternity,  and  unconscious  of  what  his  powerful  pen  and  high 
reputation  were  effecting  by  exciting  a  strong  feeling  in  favour 
of  emigration,  at  a  moment  when  the  people  of  England  were 
despairing;  so  strong,  indeed,  that  what  he  did  and  wrote,  burst 
in  upon  them  like  a  discovery.  Unconscious  of  all  this,  he  left 
undone  all  which  he  ought  in  common  policy  to  have  done.  The 
weakest  head  could  see  that  after  purchasing  land  and  alluring  set- 
tlers, he  ought  to  have  guarded  against  a  famine  by  providing  for 
their  accommodation,  building  a  few  log-houses,  store-houses,  and 
a  tavern,  and  cultivating  corn,  so  that  the  numerous  callers  in  this 
inhospitable  waste  might  have  found  food,  and  a  shelter,  and  a 
person  to  shew  the  land,  which  he  had  to  resell.  Whereas  a  stable, 
a  covered  waggon,  and  prairie-grass,  formed  their  only  shelter  and 
bed;  and  not  having  food  sufficient  for  himself,  there  was  little  or 
none  for  strangers,  and  no  person  to  shew  the  land,  nor  did  he  know 
himself  where  it  lay.  He  idly  thought  that  if  they  wished  land 
they  would  find  it  themselves;  and  being  in  expectation  of  many 
such  families  from  England,  he  thought  he  had  no  land  to  spare, 
so  that  the  real  practical  farmers  of  both  worlds  who  called,  turned 
away  disgusted  to  other  and  better  neighbourhoods,  the  Kaskasky, 
and  Missouri,  and  Red  River,  where  more  important  settlements 
are  rising.  He  therefore,  as  the  rich  families  did  not  come,  has  no 
real  farmers  in  his  settlement,  and  hoped  J.  Ingle,  being  one,  would 
come  and  make  one  solitary  farmer  amongst  them.  Trusting  too, 
to  his  own  judgment,  he  has  settled  down  on  and  entered  indis- 
criminately good  and  bad  land,  much  of  which  will  never  be  worth 
any  thing,  being  wet,  marshy,  spongy,  on  a  stratum  of  unporous 
clay,  over  which  pestilential  fogs  rise  and  hang  continually.  A 
United  States'  surveyor  woufd,  for  a  few  dollars,  have  prevented 
such  a  choice.  Common  policy  and  prudence,  too,  ought  to  have 
induced  him  to  reduce  his  fine  farming  theory  into  practice,  other- 
wise it  seemed  as  if  intended  merely  to  deceive  others.  Even  if  he 
should,  (as  he  now  says)  lose  by  it,  or  could  buy  produce  cheaper 
than  he  could  raise  it,  he  still  ought  not  so  to  buy  it,  but  set  an 


318  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

example  of  farming.  For  of  what  use  is  land,  if  it  is  not  worth 
culativating? 

As  a  proof  of  his  improvident  conduct,  and  bad  management, 
his  thirteen  horses  were  all  miserably  poor  and  unfit  for  use, 
and  when  any  were  wanted,  he  would  say  to  a  hunter,  "Here's 
five  dollars  for  you,  if  you  find  and  drive  up  the  horses;"  for  he  had 
no  inclosure.  The  man  knew  where  they  were,  and  soon  found 
them  and  received  the  fee;  none  then  were  fit  for  use.  "Oh!  don't 
tease  me  about  horses." 

This  evening,  J.  Ingle  sat  dowrn  by  the  fire,  and  cleaned  the 
shoes  of  all  the  family,  which  he  does  every  week. 

Sunday,  14th. — Called  on  a  Caledonian  Yankee  farmer,  busy 
at  work  in  his  garden,  who  said  he  had  no  Sunday  in  his  week, 
but  would  buy  one  if  he  could.  He  is  a  quarter-section  man. 
without  wife  or  child,  shoes  or  hose. 

After  a  meeting  of  16  persons  of  this  little  settlement,  in  the 
log-house  of  my  friend,  who  read  a  sermon  and  prayed  for  all 
present,  I  visited  Mr.  Hornbrook's,  a  respectable  English  family 
from  Devonshire,  on  a  good  quantity  of  land,  living  in  two  or 
three  log-cabins. 

Amongst  the  inducements  of  the  Flower  family  to  emigratte 
may  be  reckoned  the  probability  of  their  wasting  all  their  proper,y 
by  farming  their  own  estate,  about  500  or  600  acres  at  Marsden. 
It  was  badly  farmed,  and  the  Merino  trade  failed,  which  was  Mr. 
Flower's  hobby-horse;  and  seeing  his  favourite  son  was  determined 
to  live  in  America,  emigration  now  ceased  to  be  a  matter  of  choice. 
They  intended  to  settle  in  the  east.  G.  Flower,  who  brought  a 
letter  from  the  celebrated  Marquis  de  la  Fayette  to  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son, who  he  visited,  bought  an  estate  of  500  acres  at  10  dollars  an 
acre,  near  Jefferson's,  where  they  were  to  have  lived;  but,  as  Mr. 
Birkbeck  could  not  approve  it,  on  account  of  slavery,  it  was 
abandoned. 

15th. — The  English  settlement  in  Indiana,  up  to  this  time,  con- 
tains 12,800  acres  entered,  and  in  possession  of  actual  settlers,  53 
families  having  capital  to  the  amount  of  80,000  dollars. 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  319 

Expenses  of  clearing  and  inclosing  an  acre  of  land,  ready  for  plant- 
ing, 6|  dollars;  ditto  of  planting,  with  four  ploughings  and  four 
hoeings,  and  harvesting,  and  stacking  for  market,  at  your  own 
door,  six  dollars  an  acre;  so  making  the  first  year,  an  acre  cost.  .  .  $12 . 50 

Second  year,  wheat  1^  bushel  seed $1 . 50 

Ploughing  once,  75  cents;  clearing  dead  timber,  break- 
ing up  stumps,  and  hoeing  sprouts,  one  dollar  and 
50  cents ; 2.25 

Reaping  1^  bushel  an  acre,  or  in  cash 1 . 00 

Carting,  threshing,  etc 3 . 50 

88 . 2') 


Cost  of  one  acre  in  two  years $20 . 75 

Produce  of  an  acre  of  Indian  corn,  35  bushels,  at  50  cents  the  first 

year 17.50 

Ditto,  wheat,  25  bushels,  at  75  cents  the  second  year 18 . 75 


Value  of  the  acre,  in  two  years $36 . 25 

Deduct  cost..  20.75 


Profit , $15.50 

In  the  next  two  years,  the  two  acres  will  cost  less  by  8  dollars  75 
cents,  which,  added  to  15  dollars  50  cents,  makes  the  net  profit 
on  two  acres  24  dollars  25  cents,  besides  the  increased  value  of  the 
land. 

The  proper  expenses  of  a  farmer,  arriving  with  a  capital  of 
2,000  dollars,  that  is  to  say,  his  necessary  expenses  in  estab- 
lishing himself  and  family  the  first  year: 

First  year — Entry  of  half  section,  or  320  acres  of  land $160 . 00 

House  and  stable,  80  dollars;  smoke  house,  pigstye  and  hen  house, 

40  dollars 120.00 

Two  horses,  good,  160  dollars ;  two  ploughs  and  harness,  40  dollars.  200 . 00 
Four  axes,  four  hoes,  16  dollars;  waggon,  100  dollars;  harrows,  12 

dollars 128  00 

Spades,  shovels,  six  dollars;  two  cows,  36  dollars;  four  sows  in  pig, 

20  dollars..  62.00 

Corn  crib  and  barn 60 . 00 

Clearing  20  acres  of  land  first  3rear,  foot  and  under,  and  fenced  well  130 .00 

Ploughing,  planting,  hoeing  and  turning 130.00 


$990.00 
Twelve  month's  maintenance  of  family 250 . 00 


$1,240.00 

So  leaving  him  at  harvest  800  dollars  of  his  2,000  dollars  for  the 
uses  of  the  coming  year;  but  still,  this  money  will  not  be  wanted,  as 


320  EAELY  TBAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  farm  will  now  maintain  itself  and  family;  the  money  then 
should  be  at  use. 

"The  foregoing  statements,"  says  Mr.  Ingle,  "I  will  swear  are 
correct,  and  they  are  in  part  reduced  to  practice  this  year."  I 
think,  however,  that  the  money  should  be  at  command  for  his  own 
use,  as  twenty  acres  more  clearing,  &c.  unless  he  does  most  of  it 
himself,  (which  he  ought  to  do)  wants  260  dollars  the  second  year. 
All  the  labour,  however,  is  to  be  done  the  first  year  by  hired  hands, 
if  they  can  be  found,  and,  if  possible,  to  be  done  at  a  price  per 
acre,  not  by  the  day. 

Mr.  Ingle  insists  on  it  that  none  of  the  old  funds  will  be  wanted 
the  second  year,  but  that  the  farm  will  maintain  itself  and  family; 
as  the  pigs  will  supply  plenty  of  bacon  to  eat  and  some  to  sell, 
besides  the  surplus  of  the  first  crop  of  corn,  which  will  supply  some 
money;  but  the  second  year,  the  work  upon  the  farm  must  be 
principally  done  by  himself  and  family. 

He  thinks  that  no  more  land  should  be  under  cultivation  and 
fence,  (say  about  forty  or  fifty,  and  thirty  acres  of  grass)  than  the 
farmer  can  manage  without  hiring,  which,  at  present,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  do  with  any  thing  like  comfortable  benefit  and  English 
regularity.  He  will  not  be  so  grasping  as  in  England.  A  little  will 
satisfy  him;  he  is  not  so  disposed  to  disquiet  himself  in  vain. 
The  habits  and  examples  of  the  country  will  at  length  be  impercep- 
tibly followed. 

New  settlers  in  this  state,  men,  women,  and  children,  seem  all 
exposed  to  an  eruption,  ten  times  worse  than  the  itch,  inasmuch 
as  it  itches  more,  runs  all  over  the  body,  crusting  and  festering  the 
hands  and  other  parts,  and  is  not  to  be  cured  by  the  common 
treatment  for  the  itch,  which  has  been  tried  without  effect,  and  one 
instance  has  been  known,  where  the  sulphur  and  grease  killed  the 
patient  by  obstructing  perspiration,  and  driving  in  the  eruption. 
The  doctors  know  of  no  remedy,  and  suffer  it  to  take  its  tedious 
course.  It  comes  in  the  spring  and  fall,  but  not  to  the  same  per- 
son, it  is  hoped,  more  than  once.  It  is  attributed  to  the  air,  soil, 
and  climate.  Mr.  Ingle's  family  are  all  suffering  severely  under  it. 
Although  the  climate  seems  finer  here  than  in  the  east,  more  humid 
and  temperate,  yet  the  bite  of  every  insect  and  reptile,  however 
insignificant,  is  highly  poisonous;  an  evil  not  to  be  remedied  at 
present.  New  comers  and  fresh  flesh  suffer  most,  and  sometimes 
much  inflammation  is  caused;  but  when  the  land  becomes  more 
cleared,  it  is  hoped  this  scourge  will  be  less  afflictive. 

Fine  yeast:    Take  a  small  handful,  or  a  good  nip  of  hops,  and 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  321 

boil  them  ten  minutes,  in  one  quart  of  water,  then  strain  away  the 
hops,  and  pour  the  liquor  into  a  quantity  of  flour,  sufficient  to 
give  the  consistency  of  batter  well  beaten;  a  tea-cup  full,  or  some- 
thing less  than  the  usual  quantity  of  brewer's  yeast,  is  sufficient  for 
a  half-stone  loaf;  two  spoonfuls  of  brewer's  yeast  to  work  the  first 
making;  then,  even  after,  a  little  of  the  last  made;  the  yeast  to  be 
put  to  it  while  milk- warm,  and  kept  so  until  it  ferments,  which  it 
generally  does  in  summer  very  soon,  and  in  winter  in  a  day,  but 
it  must  not  be  used  until  it  does  ferment.  In  winter  it  keeps  one 
month,  in  summer  (America)  one  week,  two  in  England,  and  is  a 
fine  saving  and  a  great  convenience. 

IQth. — A  poor  emigrant  farmer  from  Devonshire,  called 
here  in  search  of  a  home.  His  family,  yet  on  the  river,  had  been 
nine  weeks  in  a  stinking  ark,  coming  from  Pittsburgh,  and  ever 
since  April  last  in  getting  from  England,  by  way  of  Canada,  hither. 
I  asked  him  if  he  repented  leaving  England.  "I  do,"  said  he,  "a 
good  deal,  and  so  does  my  poor  wife;"  and  then  he  burst  into  tears. 
The  tears  of  a  man  are  hard-wrung  drops.  "You  were  getting, 
I  suppose,  a  comfortable  living  in  England?"  "Oh  no!  taxes, 
tithes,  rates,  &c."  "What  money  did  you  bring  away?"  "But  a 
little,  and  besides  my  passage  to  Canada,  where  I  could  have  had 
100  acres  for  nothing,  I  have  spent  50  /.  in  getting  to 'this  west- 
ern county.  The  captain  told  me  that  Canada  was  my  best  way, 
and  I  have  now  but  little  left."  He  thought  of  going  to  the 
Prairie.  I  told  him  he  had  better  settle  here.  They  of  the  Prairie 
are  proud,  and  wanted  only  high-bred  English.  I  encouraged  this 
poor,  desponding,  ill-advised,  weak  man  to  hope  for  better  times 
in  this  good  land,  where  he  said  he  was  willing  to  labour. 

Taverns  are  always  charitable  to  moneyless  travellers,  if  they 
are  sure  of  their  poverty,  feeding  them  gratis  as  they  pass  along,  as 
instanced  in  a  moneyless  female,  and  a  sick  man  whom  I  met  in  the 
stage  coming  here.  The  Scots  frequently  plead  poverty,  and  get 
fed  gratis,  while  their  pockets  are  full  of  dollars. 

Mr.  J.  Ingle  and  maid  started  this  morning,  with  a  waggon, 
to  Princeton,  for  boards,  though  living  in  a  forest  full  of  boards 
when  sawn.  He  drove  the  waggon  himself,  and  she  was  to  get 
groceries  and  butter,  if  she  could  get  it  under  twenty-five  cents 
per  Ib.  Thus,  for  two  days,  we  were  left  without  water,  or  an  axe 
to  hew  firewood,  or  any  person  to  milk  and  feed  a  kicking  cow  and 
pigs. 

llth. — A  stranger  called  and  brushed  out  of  the  rain.  He  said 
he  was  short  of  money,  and  came  ten  miles  to  sell  two  pigs,  fat, 

T— 21 


322  EAELY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

weighing  400  Ibs.  the  two,  but  was  not  able  to  sell  them  at  more 
than  four  dollars  a  cwt. ;  he  could  not  afford  to  make  pork  at  that 
price.  No  pigs  fat  this  year  at  mast,  only  passable  pork;  but  when 
quite  fat  they  must  have  corn  for  two  or  three  weeks  to  harden 
them,  though  they  get  no  fatter,  or  else  the  bacon  would  drip  all 
summer,  and  when  boiled,  the  fat  become  oil  and  run  out  into  the 
water.  He  has  seventeen  acres  of  corn;  a  bad  crop,  not  enough  for 
his  own  use.  Few  farmers  are  ever  able  to  hire  labourers,  though 
he  thinks  it  would  answer  if  they  could ;  still  it  is  best  to  do  all  the 
work  by  one's-self  or  family.  I  went  to  turn  the  grindstone  for 
J.  Ingle's  carpenter,  at  Mr.  Maidlow's,  one  mile  and  a  half  off. 
Went  over  his  fine  farm,  that  is  to  be.  I  think  it  is  the  best  I 
have  been  in  this  settlement.  On  it  I  saw  a  lick  of  singular  size, 
extending  over  nearly  half  an  acre  of  land,  all  excavated  three  feet, 
that  is  to  say,  licked  away,  and  eaten  by  buffaloes,  deer,  and  other 
wild  animals.  It  has  the  appearance  of  a  large  pond  dried.  The 
earth  is  soft,  salt,  and  sulphurous,  and  they  still  resort  to  it.  Mr. 
Maidlow  thinks  that  Cobbett  is  much  nearer  the  truth  than  Birk- 
beck,  in  his  account  of  the  west.  Had  he  now  the  chance  of  choos- 
ing, he  would  purchase,  in  the  east,  improvements  at  eighteen  dol- 
lars an  acre,  like  the  farm  of  Mr.  Long,  as  he  finds  that  making 
improvements  in  the  west  costs  much  money.  He  believes  Birk- 
beck  is  spending  money  fast.  He  does  not  think  that  capital 
employed  in  farming  here  will  answer,  or  that  cultivation  will  pay, 
if  done  by  hired  labour.  Out  of  900  acres,  (all  he  intends  buy- 
ing) he  means  to  cultivate  and  graze  only  about  100  acres;  no  more 
than  they  can  manage  of  themselves.  He  does  not  expect  to 
increase  his  capital,  but  by  the  increase  in  value  of  land.  He 
means  to  build  a  mill,  and  plant  a  large  orchard;  is  digging  a  well, 
and  finds  some  fine  good  burning  coal  in  it,  and  a  vast  mine  of  rich 
blue  marl.  The  Missouri,  says  he,  is  full  of  all  the  rich  resources  of 
nature;  land,  very  fine.  Here  is  a  large  family  of  men,  and  Mrs. 
Maidlow  and  daughter  are  drudges  to  the  house,  cooking,  scour- 
ing, and  scrubbing,  continually.  A  young  lady  cleaning  knives! 
How  horrid!! 

18th. — A  few  months  since,  J.  Ingle  agreed  with  a  neighbour- 
ing Kentuckyan  hunter,  to  build  him  a  log-house,  to  be  begun 
and  finished  in  a  given  time.  The  fellow  was  procrastinating,  and 
too  idle  to  begin,  yet  for  ever  promising.  At  length  Mr.  Ingle  told 
him,  that  unless  he  began  on  a  certain  day,  at  noon,  at  latest,  the 
contract  should  be  void,  and  others  should  begin  it.  He  came  on 
the  day  mentioned,  but  not  until  six  in  the  evening,  when  other  had 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  323 

begun  the  job.  Greatly  enraged,  he  said,  he  had  come,  and  would 
begin  in  spite  of  any  body.  Mr.  Ingle  said  he  should  never 
touch  it.  He  said  he  would,  or  have  Mr.  Ingle's  blood;  "and  to- 
morrow morn,  I  will  come  with  men,  and  twenty  rifles,  and  I  will 
have  your  life,  or  you  shall  have  mine."  Mr.  Ingle  thought  of 
having  recourse  to  the  civil  power,  which  is  very  distant,  inso- 
much that  the  people  speak  and  seem  as  if  they  were  without  a 
government,  and  name  it  only  as  a  bugbear. 

J.  Ingle  returned  this  evening  with  his  poplar  boards,  not  worth 
carriage,  and  without  being  able  to  buy  any  tea,  sugar,  butter, 
cheese,  or  apples,  for  his  use,  at  Princeton,  though  a  county  town, 
having  a  fine  store  out  of  stock,  which  it  receives  only  once  a-year. 

19th. — A  parson,  with  his  wife,  and  sixty  others,  about  eigh- 
teen months  ago,  came  from  the  east,  as  settlers,  to  the  big  prairie 
of  Illinois;  in  which,  during  the  sickly  season,  last  fall,  an  eighth  of 
their  number  died  in  six  weeks.  Having  lost  his  wife  amongst  the 
rest,  he  has  cleared  out,  and  lives  by  his  itinerant  ministrations. 

It  is  useless  to  fence  much  more  land  than  is  cleared,  because, 
until  the  country  is  cleared  round  about,  "the  autumnal  fires  would 
destroy  the  fences.  The  cattle,  therefore,  must  range  in  the  woods, 
until  some  small  inclosures,  for  pasture,  can  be  made.  Through  the 
summer,  both  night  and  day,  but  mostly  in  the  night,  the  mos- 
quitoes, both  in  Indiana  and  Illinois,  but  chiefly  in  the  latter,  were, 
in  their  attacks,  almost  sufficient  to  drive  English  settlers  out.  If  a 
man  had  been  lashed  naked  to  a  post,  he  must  have  been  stung  to 
death,  or  unto  madness.  At  Sandersville,  says  J.  Ingle,  they 
blinded  several  persons. 

The  Cherokee  nation  once  wishing  to  war  against  the  United 
States,  sent  their  favourite  chief,  old  Double-head,  to  Philadelphia, 
to  sound  parties,  and  return  with  his  opinion  either  for  or  against 
it.  "Oh,"  said  he,  on  his  return,  "we  must  not  war;  I  have  seen 
more  white  men  in  one  town,  than  would  be  sufficient  to  eat  all  the 
Indians,  if  made  into  a  pie."  They  have  never  since  thought  of 
war,  but  what  few  remain,  are  friendly  and  civilized,  and  fight 
for  Uncle  Sam.  Some  cultivate  their  land,  and  possess  negroes. 

20th. — At  nine  this  morning,  after  a  fortnight's  stay  at  Sand- 
ersville, I  mounted  the  neck  of  an  ill  mis-shapen,  dull,  stumbling 
beast,  called  a  horse,  the  best  that  friendship  and  good-will  could 
procure,  for  conveying  me,  in  company  with  J.  Ingle,  to  the  state 
of  Illinois,  by  way  of  the  far-famed  Harmony.  I  rode,  in  fear,  all 
day,  through  woods  and  wilds;  sometimes  almost  trackless.  We 
were  lost  twice.  The  people  seem  to  know  nothing  of  time,  and  dis- 


324  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

tance  of  places  from  each  other;  some  telling  us  it  was  ten,  when  it 
was  two,  and  three,  when  it  was  twelve  o'clock;  and  as  to  dis- 
tance, twenty  when  it  was  twenty-seven,  and  fifteen,  when  it  was 
ten  miles  to  Harmony.  I  expected  to  camp  out  all  night,  with  no 
means  of  getting  a  fire.  I  saw  nothing  but  good  land,  and  (where 
any)  fine  corn;  but  no  comfortable  dwellings;  all,  miserable  little 
log-holes,  having  neither  springs  nor  mill-streams.  We  were  very 
courteously  shewn  our  way  by  a  worshipful  magistrate  of  Indiana, 
at  work  by  the  road  side,  hewing  and  splitting  wood. 

We  rested,  twenty  minutes,  at  a  log  of  one  of  Cobbett's  Yan- 
kee farmers,  with  a  fine  family  of  boys,  big  enough  for  men,  and 
handsome,  sprightly,  and  free-looking,  as  ever  walked  the  earth. 
I  would  have  given  something  for  a  picture  of  them,  being  self- 
taught  shoemakers,  butchers,  wheelwrights,  carpenters,  and  what 
not,  and  having  cleared,  from  320  acres,  60  acres,  and  cropped  them 
twice  in  two  years.  The  mother  sat,  smoking  her  pipe,  fat  and 
easy.  The  father  is  ready  to  sell  out  at  1,200  dollars;  a  fair  price, 
says  Mr.  Ingle.  They  think  well  of  this  country,  but  were  able  to 
grow  more  wheat  per  acre  in  Pennsylvania;  there,  thirty-four,  here, 
twenty  to  twenty-four  bushels  an  acre;  they  can  have  seventy- 
five  cents  at  home,  or  carrying  it  twenty  miles  or  less,  one  dollar  a 
bushel,  for  wheat.  The  old  fellow  says  that  the  Harmonites  do 
their  business  of  all  kinds  better  than  any  body  else. 

I  saw,  on  the  Harmony  lands  and  fields,  of  great  size,  wheat, 
finer  and  thicker,  planted  with  two  bushels,  than  in  England  with 
three  and  a  half  bushels  per  acre.  The  fields,  however,  lie  in  a 
vale  of  prodigious  richness. 

I  reached  Harmony  at  dusk,  and  found  a  large  and  comfort- 
able brick  tavern,  the  best  and  cleanest  which  I  have  seen  in  In- 
diana, and  slept  in  a  good,  clean  bed-room,  four  beds  in  a  room, 
one  in  each  corner;  but  found  bad  beef,  though  good  bread,  and 
high  charges,  one  dollar,  five  cents,  each. 

A  stranger  present,  asked  our  landlord  of  what  religion  were 
the  community  of  Harmony.  In  broken  English,  and  rather  cross- 
ly, he  replied,  "Dat's  no  matter;  they  are  all  a  satisfied  p'eo- 
ple."  The  spell,  or  secret,  by  which  these  people  are  held  in  volun- 
tary slavery,  is  not  to  be  known  or  fathomed  by  inquiry.  We  asked 
if  strangers  were  permitted  to  go  to  their  church  to-morrow. 
"No,"  was  the  answer.  This  is  unprecedented  in  the  civilized 
world. 

Sunday,  21st. — At  Harmony  till  ten  o'clock,  when  we  were 
told,  "we  must  then  depart,  or  stay  until  after  the  morning  ser- 


WILLIAM  FAUX.  325 

vice/'  which  commences  at  ten  o'clock.  At  the  moment  the  bells 
began  chiming,  the  people,  one  and  all,  from  every  quarter,  hurry 
into  their  fine  church  like  frighted  doves  to  their  windows;  the 
street  leading  to  the  temple  seems  filled  in  a  minute,  and  in  less 
than  ten  minutes,  all  this  large  congregation,  1,000  men,  women, 
and  children,  all  who  can  walk  or  ride,  are  in  the  church,  the  males 
entering  in  at  the  side,  the  females  at  the  tower,  and  separately 
seated.  Then  enters  the  old  High  Priest,  Mr.  Rapp,  of  about 
eighty,  straight  and  active  as  his  adopted  son,  Frederick,  who 
walks  behind  him.  The  old  man's  wife  and  daughters  enter  with  the 
crowd,  from  his  fine  house,  which  looks  as  if  the  people  who  built 
it  for  him,  thought  nothing  too  good  for  him.  This  people  are 
never  seen  in  idle  groups;  all  is  moving  industry;  no  kind  of 
idling ;  no  time  for  it.  Religious  service  takes  place  three  times  every 
day.  They  must  be  in  the  chains  of  superstition,  though  Rapp  pro- 
fesses to  govern  them  only  by  the  Bible,  and  they  certainly  seem 
the  perfection  of  obedience  and  morality.  People  who  have  left 
them  say,  that  Rapp  preaches,  that  if  they  quit  the  society,  they 
will  be  damned,  for  his  way  is  the  only  way  to  Heaven.  He  does 
much  by  signs,  and  by  an  impressive  manner,  stretching  out  his 
arm,  which,  he  says,  is  the  arm  of  God,  and  that  they  must  obey 
it;  and  that  when  he  dies,  his  spirit  will  descend  unto  his  son 
Fred.  The  people  appear  saturnine,  and  neither  very  cleanly  nor 
very  dirty.  They  are  dressed  much  alike,  and  look  rather  shabby, 
just  as  working  folk  in  general  look.  None  are  genteel.  The 
women  are  intentionally  disfigured  and  made  as  ugly  as  it  is  pos- 
sible for  art  to  make  them,  having  their  hair  combed  straight  up 
behind  and  before,  so  that  the  temples  are  bared,  and  a  little  skull- 
cap, or  black  crape  ban-dage,  across  the  crown,  and  tied  under 
the  chin.  This  forms  their  only  headdress. 

I  rode  round  the  town,  which  will  soon  be  the  best  and  first  in 
the  Western  country.  At  present,  the  dwellings,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Rapp's,  and  the  stores  and  taverns,  are  all  log-houses,  with 
a  cow-house  and  other  conveniences.  One  is  given  to  each  family, 
and  a  fine  cow,  and  nice  garden;  other  necessaries  are  shared  in 
common.  Their  horses,  cattle,  and  sheep,  are  all  in  one  stable; 
herds  and  flocks  are  folded  every  night,  in  comfortable  sheds, 
particularly  an  immensely  large  flock  of  Merino  sheep;  and  so 
secured  from  the  wolves.  They  have  a  fine  vineyard  in  the  vale, 
and  on  the  hills  around,  which  are  as  beautiful  as  if  formed  by  art 
to  adorn  the  town.  Not  a  spot  but  bears  the  most  luxuriant  vines, 
from  which  they  make  excellent  wine.  Their  orchards,  too,  are  of 


326  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

uncommon  size  and  fertility;  and  in  a  large  pleasure  garden  is  a 
curious  labyrinth,  out  of  which  none  but  those  who  formed  it,  or 
are  well  acquainted  with  it,  can  find  their  way. 

Their  granary  is  superb  and  large,  and  the  barns  and  farm- 
yards are  singularly  capacious,  as  well  as  their  cloth  and  other 
manufactories.  It  is  the  wise  policy  of  this  people  to  buy  nothing 
which  it  is  possible  for  them  to  make  or  raise,  and  their  industry 
and  ingenuity  are  irresistible.  They  have  much  to  sell,  at  their 
own  price,  of  almost  every  thing  domestic  and  foreign.  They  can 
not  make  shoes  half  so  fast  as  they  could  sell  them.  It  is  not 
doubted  but  they  are  immensely  rich,  beginning  in  Pennsylvania 
with  only  4,000  I.,  and  being  now  worth  500,000  I.  They  keep  no 
accounts,  and  all  business  is  done  and  every  thing  possessed  in 
Frederick  Rapp's  name.  They  have  been  in  this  Harmony  five 
years  only;  they  bought  a  huge  territory  of  the  richest  land,  which 
is  all  paid  for,  and  keep  an  immense  quantity  in  high  cultivation, 
and  continue  to  buy  out  bordering  settlers,  thus  ever  enlarging 
their  boundaries.  An  American  widower,  with  ten  children,  joined 
them  some  time  ago,  in  distress  for  his  children;  all  are  well  off  now. 

They  work  very  gently,  but  constantly.  At  eleven  I  left 
Harmony,  wishing  to  see  more  of  this  singular  community.  Rapp 
came  hither  a  poor,  unlettered  weaver  from  Germany. 

I  entered  the  woods  again,  on  the  banks  of  the  fine  river,  the 
Big  Wabash,  wider  than  the  Thames  at  London.  There  are  no 
regular  roads;  but,  over  creeks  and  swamps,  and  the  Black  River, 
now  dry,  we  took  our  way,  and  met  six  bastard  Indian-like  horse- 
men, drinking  whiskey  in  the  woods,  looking  wild  and  jovial, 
dressed  in  sky-blue  and  scarlet.  Crossed  the  Big  river  into  Illinois, 
after  being  lost  one  hour. 


From  A   visit  to  the  colony  of   Harmony  in  Indiana,  by 
William  Hebert  [1825.] 

HEBERT,  WILLIAM. 

One  of  the  many  curious  visitors  who  flocked  to  New  Harmony,  Indiana, 
during  the  days  of  the  Rappite  Colony  was  one  William  Hebert  of  London. 
He  made  his  visit  during  the  last  half  of  the  year  1823.  The  chief  value  of 
his  notes  lies  in  the  full  discussion  given  of  the  purely  religious  and  social 
conditions  that  prevailed  in  the  colony. 

The  State  Library  has  a  typewritten  copy  made  from  the  original 
edition,  a  copy  of  which  is  in  the  library  of  the  Workingmen's  Institute, 
New  Harmony,  Indiana. 

A 
VISIT  TO  THE  COLONY 

of 
HARMONY, 

In  Indiana, 

In  the  United  States  of  America, 
Recently  purchased  by   Mr.   Owen  for  the  establishment  of  a 

SOCIETY  OF  MUTUAL  CO-OPERATION 

and 
COMMUNITY  OF  PROPERTY, 

In  a  letter  to  a  friend; 

To  which  are  added, 

Some  observations  on  that  mode  of  society,  and  on 
political  society  at  large: 

also, 

A  sketch  of  the  formation  of 
A  CO-OPERATIVE  SOCIETY. 


"Many  schemes  ridiculed  as  Utopian,  decried  as  visionary,  and 
declaimed  against  as  impracticable,  will  be  realized  the  moment 

(327) 


328  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  march  of  sound  knowledge  has  effected  this  for  our  species; 
that  of  making  men  wise  enough  to  see  their  true  interests,  and 
disinterested  enough  to  pursue  them." — Lacon. 

By  WILLIAM  HEBERT. 


LONDON: 

Printed  for  George  Mann,  39,  Cornhill. 


1825 
A  VISIT, 

&c. 


Albion,    Edward's   County,   Illinois, 

6th  February,  1823. 
Dear  Sir, 

In  the  month  of  September  last  I  made  an  excursion  with  a 
friend  to  the  celebrated  German  Colony  in  our  neighborhood  at 
Harmony,  the  name  of  the  place  being  characteristic  of  the  society 
that  is  settled  there.  It  is  situated  in  a  thickly  wooded  country 
on  the  banks  of  the  Wabash,  on  the  Indiana  side,  at  about  thirty 
miles  from  the  mouth  of  that  river.  The  site  of  ground  upon 
which  the  town  stands  is  generally  flat  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
from  the  river,  when  the  surface  of  the  country  becomes  hilly  and 
pleasingly  undulating.  This  singular  community  consists  of  about 
seven  hundred  individuals,  chiefly  from  Wirtemburg  and  its  neigh- 
borhood. They  have  occupied  their  present  situation  about  seven 
years,  having  been  induced  to  relinquish  a  former  establishment  in 
a  back  situation  of  Pennsylvania,  near  Pittsburg,  from  its  beginning, 
[becoming]  as  it  is  supposed,  too  thickly  settled  to  suit  the 
peculiar  tenets  or  policy  of  their  society.  The  progress  which  this 
religious  community  made  in  agriculture  and  every  other  kind  of 
industry  when  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  was  a  subject  of  astonish- 
ment to  their  neighbors  for  many  miles  around,  but  I  apprehend 


WILLIAM  HEBEBT.  329 

that  their  present  advanced  state  of  improvement  and  accumulat- 
ing wealth,  justly  excite  the  admiration  of  all  acquainted  with  them 
here  to  a  yet  greater  degree.  It  is  presumable  that  they  have  made 
far  greater  progress  here  than  they  did  in  Pennsylvania,  from  their 
having  been  much  longer  established,  and  from  a  consideration 
of  the  sum  of  money  for  which  they  sold  their  former  establish- 
ment, compared  with  the  vast  value  of  their  present  possessions. 
These  good  people  have  literally  made  the  "barren  wilderness  to 
smile"  with  corn  fields,  meadows,  and  gardens  upon  a  most  exten- 
sive scale.  Their  little  town,  seen  from  the  neighboring  hills, 
which  are  covered  with  their  vineyards  and  orchards,  has  an 
exceedingly  pleasing  appearance,  the  Wabash,  which  is  here  an 
ample  stream,  being  seen  to  wind  its  course  in  front  of  it,  and 
beneath  the  luxuriant  and  lofty  woods  on  the  opposite  banks  of 
Illinois.  The  town  is  regularly  laid  out  into  straight  and  spacious 
streets,  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles,  in  common  with  modern 
American  towns.  The  log  cabins  are  giving  place  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible to  neat  and  commodious  brick  and  framed  houses,  which  are 
extremely  well  built,  the  uniform  redness  of  the  brick  of  which  the 
majority  of  them  is  composed  giving  to  the  place  a  brightness  of 
appearance  which  the  towns  of  England  are  quite  destitute  of. 
Nothing,  I  think,  detracts  so  much  from  the  beauty  of  London, 
next  to  the  irregularity  with  which  it  is  built,  as  the  earthy  or  mud- 
coloured  appearance  of  the  houses,  forming  so  great  a  contrast  to 
the  wealth  and  splendour  within  a  considerable  portion  of  them. 
The  house  of  Mr.  Rapp,  the  pastor  of  \he  community,  is  a  large 
square  mansion  of  brick,  having  a  good  garden  and  suitable  out- 
houses attached.  The  streets  of  the  little  town  of  Harmony  are 
planted  on  each  side  with  Lombardy  poplars,  but  as  these  are 
found  to  die  as  soon  as  their  roots  come  in  contact  with  the  sub- 
stratum of  sand,  they  are  replaced  with  mulberry  trees.  A  town 
being  thus  planted  with  trees,  has  a  very  picturesque  effect  from  a 
distance,  it  appearing  to  stand  in  a  grove,  beside  the  pleasant  use 
of  affording  shade  and  shelter  when  walking  about  it.  The  town  is 
amply  supplied  with  excellent  wells,  as  also  with  public  ovens, 
which  are  placed  at  regular  and  convenient  distances  from  each 
other.  Their  granaries,  barns,  factories,  &c.  are  generally  built  in 
an  exceedingly  handsome  and  durable  manner.  Here  too,  in 
token  of  Christianity  being  planted,  (though  in  its  most  rigid 
character)  amongst  Indian  woods  which  had  but  lately  resounded 
with  the  yells  of  their  untutored  inhabitants,  rises  the  pretty 
village  church,  the  white  steeple  of  which,  seen  from  afar  through 


330  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  widely  extended  clearings  and  forests  of  girdled  trees,  seems  to 
invite  the  traveller  onward  to  a  peaceful  resting  place.  And  such 
it  is,  Harmony  is  truly  the  abode  of  peace  and  industry.  The 
society,  however,  possesses  one  principle  of  so  unsocial  and  dis- 
piriting a  character,  as  to  throw  a  shade  over  the  whole  scene  in  a 
moral  sense,  and  to  fill  the  mind  with  commiseration  for  men  who 
can  so  construe  any  of  the  precepts  of  Christianity  into  a  virtual 
prohibition  of  the  sacred  ties  of  the  married  state.  The  Harmon- 
ians  are  a  class  of  Lutherans,  who,  though  they  do  not  expressly 
prohibit  marriage,  discountenance  it  to  an  extent  that  nearly 
amounts  to  a  prohibition  in  effect.  They  profess  to  adhere  to  the 
advice  of  St.  Paul,  in  regard  to  this  point  of  morality.  Upon 
my  enquiring  of  one  of  them,  a  candid  and  amiable  person,  how 
long  it  had  been  since  a  marriage  had  taken  place  amongst  them, 
he  said,  nearly  three  years,  and  it  was  presumable  that  none  was 
contemplated  as  about  to  take  place  at  the  time  of  my  inquiry. 
This  in  a  community  which  can  contain  scarcely  less  than  a  hun- 
dred young  persons  of  suitable  ages  to  enter  upon  the  marriage 
state,  and  surrounded  with  plenty  secured  to  them  upon  their 
system  of  society!  The  Harmonians  consider  the  single  state  as 
higher  in  a  moral  estimation  than  the  married  one,  as  the  Cath- 
olics are  said  to  esteem  it. 

As  you  may  suppose,  the  utmost  regularity  and  decorum  subsists 
amongst  them.  They  work  easily,  but  their  hours  of  labour  are  of  the 
usual  length  of  the  labourer's  day,  being  from  sunrise  to  sunset. 
They  are  an  exceedingly  industrious  race  of  people,  being  occasional- 
ly busy  long  before  sunrise  in  some  departments  of  their  establish- 
ment, such  as  their  Distillery,  Brewery  and  Mills,  which  sometimes 
require  their  attendance  through  the  night.  It  is  understood  that 
they  subsist  upon  a  principle  of  fellowship,  or  of  united  labor  and 
capital,  all  deriving  their  food  and  clothing  from  the  common 
stock,  every  individual  however  being  accountable  for  the  appli- 
cation of  his  time,  and  the  amount  of  the  articles  he  has  from  the 
stores.  When  any  one  is  remiss  or  irregular  to  an  extent  to  become 
an  object  of  attention,  no  coercive  measures  are  resorted  to,  but  the 
idle  or  offending  person  is  treated  with  distance  or  neglect,  which, 
together  with  verbal  reproof,  are  found  to  be  fully  efficacious  to 
reform.  The  Harmonians  are,  however,  an  extremely  regular  and 
sober-minded  people,  whose  happiness  is  certainly  the  happiness 
of  ignorance,  the  pursuits  of  literature  being  wholly  neglected  or 
prohibited  amongst  them.  They  appear  to  do  every  thing  with  a 
mechanical  regularity.  Their  town  is  consequently  very  still,  the 


WILLIAM  HEBERT.  331 

sounds  of  mirth  or  conviviality  being  rarely  heard  within  it,  except- 
ing when  their  American  or  English  neighbors  resort  there  for 
purposes  of  trade  or  to  negotiate  their  money  transactions.    Being 
great  capitalists,  resulting  wholly  from  their  industry,  they  are 
frequently  resorted  to  by  persons  in  this  neighborhood,  who  receive 
remittances  by  bills  on  the  eastern  cities,   to  obtain   cash   for 
them.     As  a  society  they  are  extremely  wealthy.     Having  over- 
come all  the  difficulties  incident  to    their    establishment    in    a 
wilderness,  they  have  only  to  improve  their  manufactures  and 
extend  the  sphere  of  their  operations  to  acquire  almost  incalcu- 
lable wealth.     This  numerous  community  of  men  of  humble  life 
embraces  within  it  several  artisans  of  nearly  all  of  the  most  use- 
ful occupations  of  life,  to  the  exclusion  or  suppression  of  those 
which  they  do  not  deem  essential  to  their  welfare.    Amongst  the 
latter,  I  am  sorry  to  say  they  include  that  of  a  printer,  they  being 
wholly  without  one,  and  seem  fully  persuaded  that  the  employ- 
ment of  one,  if  it  would  not  be  detrimental  to  their  peace  or  their 
interests,  is  at  least  superfluous  to  them.     They  are  generally 
averse  to  communication  on  the  subjects  of  the  tenets  and  the 
policy  of  their  society.    It  may  be  presumed  that  they  are  totally 
unused  to  liberal  discussion,  and  may  be  considered  an  ignorant 
and  priest-ridden  set  of  people.     Mr.  Rapp  is  alike  their  spiritual 
teacher  and  temporal  director,   who  is  as  much  accustomed  to 
superintend  their  operations  in  their  fields  and  factories,  as  to  lec- 
ture them  on  their  duty,  and  who  will  sometimes  spend  as  much 
time  in  exploring  their  woods  in  search  of  a  particular  tree  for  a 
specific  purpose,  as  in  enforcing  his  arguments  for  the  peculiar 
doctrines  of  their  faith.     He  is  their  alpha  and  omega,  without 
whom  they  think  nothing,  do  nothing,  and  perhaps  would  have 
been  nothing.    Mr.  Frederick  Rapp,  an  adopted  son  of  Mr.  Rapp 
the  pastor,  a  bachelor  of  about  forty  years  of  age,  appears  to  be  the 
sole  cashier  and  ostensible  proprietor  of  all  the  produce  and  manu- 
factures of  the  society,  all  bills  and  receipts  being  made  and  given 
in  his  name  only.    I  am  informed  however  that  their  land  which  is 
of  great  extent  and  of  the  first  quality,  is  entered  at  the  land- 
office  in  the  form  of  "Frederick  Rapp  and  his  associates,"  which 
circumstance  I  was  glad  to  learn,  as  it  indicates  something  like 
joint  property  on  this  material  point,  whatever  may  be  the  fact 
in  other  respects.    The  affairs  of  the  community  are  not  regulated 
by  a  committee,  or  court  of  directors,  chosen  periodically  and  in 
rotation  from  among  its  members,  which  would  possible  be  deemed 
as   "romantic"   as  the  representative  system  of  government  is 


332  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

termed  by  the  present  emperor  of  Austria,  but  by  a  few  of  the 
most  influential  individuals  amongst  them.  The  governing  power 
seems  to  be  composed  of  Mr.  Rapp  and  his  adopted  son,  with  the 
assistance  of  the  superintendent  of  the  general  store,  the  doc- 
tor, the  sadler,  the  smith,  and  the  keeper  of  the  house  of  "private 
entertainment,"  (the  designation  of  the  tavern.)  and  perhaps  a  few 
other  persons;  but  those  enumerated  are  the  ostensible  managers, 
each  of  whom  receives  money  in  his  particular  department. 
Further  than  this,  nothing  is  known  respecting  the  pecuniary 
arrangements  of  the  society.  Whether  the  governing  power  of 
the  Harmonians  has  any  constitutional  shape  is  unknown,  but  its 
efficiency  is  matter  of  astonishment  to  all  who  have  surveyed  the 
scene  of  its  operation.  If  justice  prevail  in  the  society  it  is  well, 
and  they  are  a  peculiarly  respectable  body  of  people,  to  be  com- 
passionated only  for  the  gloomy  character  of  their  religious  opin- 
ions and  their  general  ignorance.  And  if  equity  do  not  subsist 
amongst  them,  and  the  majority  are  duped  by  the  wary  and  pow- 
erful few,  they  still  appear  a  contented  people,  and  to  entertain  an 
opinion  of  mutuality  of  possession,  though  they  may  not  possibly 
havaany  very  correct  ideas  or  information  upon  the  subject.  It  is 
known  that  books  of  account  are  kept,  in  which  are  entered  the 
amount  of  every  labourer  and  mechanic's  daily  earnings,  together 
with  the  daily  amount  of  the  articles  each  has  from  the  stores; 
but  it  is  not  known  that  there  is  any  general  account  kept  of  the 
external  transactions  of  the  society,  or  of  the  value  of  grain,  beef, 
pork,  whiskey,  beer,  wine,  and  of  various  manufactures  that  are 
exported  from  Harmony  to  New  Orleans  and  elsewhere,  besides 
an  immense  amount  of  goods  sold  by  retail  at  their  general  store, 
the  return  for  all  which  is  chiefly  in  specie.  The  Harmonians  have 
commercial  agents  in  several  of  the  principal  cities  of  the  Union, 
whose  purchases  of  merchandise  being  sent  to  Harmony,  are  dis- 
persed through  the  surrounding  country  by  means  of  their  store  at. 
home,  and  others  which  it  appears  they  think  it  worth  while  to 
possess  in  different  towns  in  the  neighborhood,  which  latter 
are  superintended  on  commission  by  persons  not  of  their  society. 
They  have  it  already  in  their  power  to  say  that  they  raise  or  pro- 
duce every  thing  necessary  to  comfort,  with  an  exception  only  to 
groceries,  which  last  however  they  procure  in  exchange  for  their 
own  commodities,  chiefly  for  sale,  as  it  is  said  the  people  in  general 
are  not  allowed  the  use  of  tea  or  coffee,  although  the  heads  of  the 
community  indulge  in  those  agreeable  and  exhilarating^bever- 
ages.  The  Harmonians  are  upon  the  whole  an  interesting  body  of 


WILLIAM  HEBEBT.  333 

people,  but  it  is  impossible  to  regard  their  commercial  spirit  with- 
out a  sentiment  of  fear  or  suspicion  that  it  militates  against  that 
purity  and  austerity  of  character  which  they  are  in  other  respects 
so  scrupulous  of  maintaining.  One  might  enquire  what  is  the 
probable  destination  of  this  community  at  the  distance  of  half  a 
century?  The  principle  of  celibacy  upon  which  it  is  governed 
tends  nearly  to  its  extinction  within  this  period.  Upon  enquiring 
of  the  good  man,  the  keeper  of  the  house  of  "private  entertain- 
ment," who  showed  us  about  the  town,  if  they  were  not  desirous  of  in- 
creasing the  number  of  their  society,  he  replied,  "not  by  strangers," 
and  upon  my  friend's  enquiry  whether  they  were  not  desirous  of 
receiving  an  accession  of  numbers  from  amongst  their  own  country- 
men, he  said,  that  they  considered  their  own  countrymen,  who 
were  not  of  their  faith,  equally  strangers  to  them  with  Ameri- 
cans or  English;  and  having  repeated  that  they  were  not  desirous 
of  increasing  their  number  "by  strangers,"  he  added,  "that  is  the 
answer,"  implying  that  the  answer  he  had  given  us,  was  "the 
answer"  to  all  enquiries  of  that  nature.  Our  guide  informed  us 
that  their  number  was  a  little  above  seven  hundred,  but  that  he 
did  not  recollect  the  exact  number,  which  last  part  of  his  communi- 
cation I  thought  somewhat  strange  in  an  elderly  and  influential 
associate.  With  respect  to  the  Messieurs  Rapp  and  their  coad- 
jutors keeping  books  of  account  of  the  amount  of  their  annual 
income  by  exports  and  sales  at  home,  and  of  the  value  of  the  dis- 
posable property  on  hand,  for  the  information  and  satisfaction  of 
the  whole  of  the  community.  I  never  heard  that  there  were  any- 
kept  here,  but  I  have  been  given  to  understand  that  a  great  book  of 
accounts  which  had  been  kept  at  their  establishment  in  Penn- 
sylvania, was  lost  at  the  time  of  their  removal,  or  shortly  after  it; 
and  this  story  is  accompanied  by  another,  which,  though  not  sur- 
prising in  itself,  becomes  measureable  so,  when  connected  with  the 
loss  of  the  book  of  accounts.  The  second  story  is,  that  the  heads 
of  the  society  never  received  but  a  small  portion  of  the  sum  for 
which  they  sold  their  former  establishment.  These  circumstances 
would  be  little  worthy  notice,  did  the  heads  of  the  Harmonians 
evince  an  independence  of  pecuniary  or  commercial  pursuits, 
whereas  they  are  notoriously  keen  in  dealing,  and  appear  to  be 
arrant  money-lovers.  The  Harmonians  seem  in  a  measure  to  have 
adopted  the  policy  of  the  Roman  priesthood  during  the  ages  of 
their  greatest  power,  which  by  forbidding  their  fraternity  to 
marry,  preserved  the  power  and  possessions  of  the  church  wholly 
within  itself,  and  prevented  that  relaxation  of  interest  and  opposi- 


334  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

tion  of  sentiment  in  its  concerns,  which  would  have  resulted  from  a 
matrimonial  connection  of  the  reverend  order  with  the  laity,  and 
these  humble  sectarians  preserve  an  insular  policy  to  the  utmost 
extent  of  their  power.  Their  children  few  as  they  are,  have  but 
the  common  rudiments  of  an  education  given  to  them,  and  are 
prevented  as  much  as  possible  from  learning  the  English  lan- 
guage. Mr.  Rapp,  the  pastor,  it  is  said,  does  not  speak  a  word  of 
English,  although  he  has  lived  in  America  nine  or  ten  years; 
and  notwithstanding  that  his  son  and  the  other  leading  mem- 
bers of  the  community  speak  it  very  well.  That  an  arch  craft  rules 
the"  society  I  would  not  insinuate,  and  am  indeed  far  from  con- 
cluding upon,  but  that  several  circumstances  exist,  strong  enough 
altogether  to  induce  a  fear  of  wrong,  or  to  keep  alive  speculation, 
must  I  think,  be  obvious  to  every  person  who  has  any  knowledge 
of  the  outrageous  impositions  which  avarice  and  ambition,  under 
the  garb  of  priestly  sanctity,  have  practiced  upon  the  simplicity, 
the  credulity,  and  pliancy  of  mankind.  As  great  events  sometimes 
spring  from  little  causes,  so  small  matters  sometimes  elucidate 
large  ones.  On  the  door  of  the  house  of  "private  entertainment" 
was  written  "grapes  12|  cents  per  Ib."  Now  I  would  enquire, 
wTho  were  to  buy  these  grapes  at  12|  cents,  per  Ib.?  Surely  not 
the  poor  vine  dressers  or  working  people  themselves,  though  I 
doubt  whether  any  of  them  could  obtain  any  without  allowing  for 
them  out  of  their  earnings;  and  if  the  bill  were  put  up  to  invite  the 
purchases  of  American  travellers,  the  proceeds  from  this  source  of 
sale  must  have  been  trifling  in  the  extreme.  I  was  struck  with 
the  paltry  purport  of  this  paper  at  the  moment  I  saw  it,  and  how- 
ever it  happened,  it  was  taken  down  a  short  time  after  our  arrival. 
It  is  this  excessive  spirit  of  trade  in  the  Harmonians  that  forms  the 
great  defect,  and  I  may  say  the  anomaly  of  their  character,  con- 
sidered as  a  society  of  rigid  and  puritanical  Christians,  living  remote 
from  the  political  world,  as  one  would  have  supposed,  with  a  view 
to  independence  of  its  cares  and  pursuits.  These  people  exhibit 
considerable  taste  as  well  as  boldness  of  design  in  some  of  their 
works.  They  are  erecting  a  noble  church,  the  roof  of  which  is  sup- 
ported in  the  interior  by  a  great  number  of  stately  columns,  which 
have  been  turned  from  trees  of  their  own  forests.  The  kinds  of 
wood  made  use  of  for  this  purpose  are,  I  am  informed,  black 
walnut,  cherry,  and  sassafras.  Nothing  I  think  can  exceed  the 
grandeur  of  the  joinery,  and  the  masonry  and  brick-work  seem  to 
be  of  the  first  order.  The  form  of  this  church  is  that  of  a  cross, 
the  limbs  being  short  and  equal;  and  as  the  doors,  of  which  there 


WILLIAM  HEBERT.  335 

are  four,  are  placed  at  the  ends  of  the  limbs,  the  interior  of  the 
building  as  seen  from  the  entrances,  has  a  most  ample  and  spa- 
cious effect.  A  quadrangular  story  or  compartment  containing 
several  rooms,  is  raised  on  the  body  of  the  church,  the  sides  of 
which  inclining  inwards  towards  the  top,  are  terminated  by  a 
square  gallery,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  a  small  circular  tower  of 
about  ten  feet  in  height,  which  is  surmounted  with  a  silvered 
globe.  The  reason  assigned  by  our  guide  for  the  erection  of  this 
fine  edifice  was,  that  the  first  church  being  built  wholly  of  wood,  is 
found  to  be  so  hot  during  the  summer,  when  the  whole  of  the  so- 
ciety are  assembled  within  it,  as  to  be  scarcely  supportable,  in  con- 
sequence of  which  it  was  resolved  to  delay  the  building  of  their 
houses  for  a  time,  and  raise  a  more  spacious  and  substantial  place 
of  worship,  and  the  one  they  are  employed  upon  bids  fairly  to  do 
them  honor,  both  in  the  design  and  execution.  It  is  much  more 
spacious  than  the  number  of  their  society  requires.  I  could  scarcely 
imagine  myself  to  be  in  the  woods  of  Indiana,  on  the  borders  of  the 
Wabash,  while  pacing  the  long  resounding  aisles,  and  surveying 
the  stately  colonades  of  this  church.  Here  too  the  Englishman  is 
once  more  gratified  with  the  sound  of  a  church  bell,  which  how- 
ever harsh  it  may  sometimes  be  thought  by  those  who  have  never 
strayed  beyond  the  sound  of  one,  imparts  a  gratification  after  a 
period  of  estrangement  from  it,  as  connected  with  early  associa- 
tions, infinitely  more  soothing  than  could  the  most  delicate  strains 
of  music.  As  if,  however  the  good  Harmonians  could  not  lose  sight 
of  a  gainful  utility  in  any  thing,  the  vaults  of  their  new  church  are 
appropriated  to  the  reception  of  stores  of  various  kinds.  In 
descending  from  the  steeple  of  the  old  church  (from  which  a  beau- 
tiful scene  presents  itself  of  the  wonderful  effects  of  united  indus- 
try) we  perceived  that  the  upper  compartment  of  that  building  was 
also  used  as  a  store  for  grain,  earthenware,  cotton,  &c.  The  Har- 
monians are  said  to  be  excellent  musicians,  and  to  make  a  great 
use  of  instrumental  music  in  their  worship,  maintaining  by  the 
cultivation  of  this  exquisite  science  and  their  unanimity,  a  two- 
fold claim  to  their  designation  as  a  society.  The  shortness  of  our 
stay  did  not  afford  us  an  opportunity  of  attending  their  religious 
service.  I  am  informed  that  during  the  harvest  season,  the 
troops  of  reapers,  male  and  female,  leave  the  field  preceded  by 
music.  To  this  I  would  merely  say,  that  I  wish  them  every  happi- 
ness compatible  with  the  repression  of  the  all-ennobling  passion  of 
love.  They  seem  to  me  however  to  have  struck  at  the  root  of 
earthly  joy.  and  I  earnestly  wish  them  every  success  in  devising 


336  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

substitutes,  or  any  means  of  alleviation  of  their  cheerless  situa- 
tion. These  good  people  retain  their  German  style  of  dress. 
There  is  nothing  remarkable  in  that  of  the  men.  The  women  wear 
close  and  long-bodied  jackets,  or  spencers,  and  gipsey  bonnets. 
They  are  said  to  be  a  healthy  looking  people,  and  I  imagine  they 
are  so.  although  this  was  not  the  case  at  the  time  of  our  visit, 
which  was  at  the  latter  end  of  September,  that  being  generally  the 
most  trying  time  of  the  year,  and  a  considerable  number  of  them 
were  sick.  I  must  mention,  that  in  addition  to  their  vineyards 
and  orchards  covering  many  of  the  neighboring  hills  the  Har- 
monians  have  formed  an  extensive  garden  in  the  form  of  a  laby- 
rinth, having  a  pretty  rustic  building  in  the  centre.  The  mazy 
walks  toward  this  hermitage  are  formed  by  espalier  fruit  trees,  and 
currant  and  hazel  bushes  in  almost  interminable  rounds.  It  does 
not  appear  that  the  people  enjoy  any  periods  of  relaxation,  except- 
ing on  Sundays,  when  they  are  allowed  to  walk  about  the  garden, 
the  orchards  and  vineyards,  in  some  situations  of  which  tables 
and  benches  are  placed  for  the  purpose  of  taking  refreshment. 
My  friend  and  I  were  shown  their  cotton  and  woolen  factories, 
with  which  we  were  much  pleased.  The  products  of  these  estab- 
lishments are  much  esteemed  by  the  country  around.  I  saw  some 
very  good  blue  cloth  from  the  wool  of  their  own  flocks,  and  good 
cotton  fabrics,  such  as  are  generally  worn  in  the  western  country. 
A  great  number  of  men,  women,  and  children  are  employed  in 
these  departments.  They  have  a  fine  steam  engine  in  use  in  their 
factories.  The  morning  on  which  we  were  shown  about  the  town 
happened  to  be  somewhat  cool  after  rain,  our  guide  who  would  be 
as  cheerful  as  his  habits  of  thinking  permitted,  observed  that  the 
air  was  ''entirely  pleasant,"  upon  which  I  took  occasion  to  ask  him, 
if  he  considered  the  climate  and  country  of  Indiana  equal  to  those 
of  the  part  of  Germany  he  had  quitted.  Here  however  nature  was 
true  to  herself,  for  he  replied  with  great  feeling,  that  the  climate 
and  beauty  of  Germany  were  so  superior  to  those  of  Indiana,  that 
the  latter  was  not  to  be  brought  into  comparison  with  the  former. 
But  maintaining  his  consistency  of  character,  be  observed  "we 
are  happier  here  than  we  could  have  been  in  Germany,  we  could 
not  have  done  there  what  we  have  here".  I  could  perceive  how- 
ever, that  his  native  country  had  charms  for  him  that  he  could  not 
do  justice  to,  and  that  in  "expressive  silence,"  he  mused  its  praise. 
He  informed  us  that  the  severity  of  the  winter  in  their  part  of 
Indiana,  Gn  about  latitude  38,)  is  such,  as  to  render  it  necessary  to 
bury  one  kind  of  their  vines,  (the  Portugal  or  red  Lisbon,)  by 


WILLIAM  HEBERT.  337 

bending  them  to  the  ground,  and  covering  them  with  earth; 
the  only  method  of  preserving  potatoes  and  turnips  here  during 
the  winter  being  by  burying  them.  The  severity  of  the  winters  of 
this  part  of  the  world  forms  an  astonishing  contrast  to  the  great 
and  long  continued  heat  of  its  summers,  uniting  in  this  respect  the 
cold  of  much  higher  latitudes  with  a  heat  little  inferior  to  that  of 
the  tropics. 

During  our  stay  at  Harmony  we  witnessed  some  very  aston- 
ishing flights  of  pigeons.  Such  were  their  numbers,  that  they 
literally  formed  clouds,  and  floated  through  the  air  in  a  frequent 
succession  of  these  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  sometimes  caus- 
ing a  sensible  gust  of  wind,  and  a  considerable  motion  of  the  trees 
over  which  they  flew.  At  that  time  of  the  year  these  birds 
congregate  in  the  woods  of  this  part  of  America  by  millions. 
Parties  are  sometimes  formed  to  go  to  their  roosts  by  night, 
when  by  knocking  them  off  the  trees  with  poles,  any  quantity  of 
them  may  be  taken.  In  case  you  may  have  thought  me  too 
severe  upon  the  Harmonians  in  regard  to  their  trading  spirit,  an 
excess  of  which  I  think  derogatory  to  the  Christian  character,  and 
more  especially  in  a  society  of  Christians  who  profess  to  live  in  a 
state  of  seclusion  from  the  world  and  more  conformably  to  the 
precepts  of  the  gospel,  I  would  say,  I  have  perhaps  been  the  more 
strict  with  them  from  a  consideration  of  the  consistent  and  dig- 
nified conduct  of  a  society  of  friends  situated  also  in  Indiana,  near 
the  same  river,  and  about  a  hundred  miles  to  the  north  of  Har- 
mony, who  are  commonly  known  here  by  the  name  of  the  "Shak- 
ers" or  "Shaking  Quakers."  There  is  also,  I  am  informed,  another 
society  of  these  friends  in  the  state  of  Ohio.  These  societies  are 
constituted  upon  a  principle  of  reciprocal  assistance  and  common 
property,  and  like  the  Harmonians  refrain  from  marriage,  but  with 
a  strictness  that  amounts  to  an  absolute  prohibition  of  it.  These 
good  people  however  consistently  disclaim  an  attention  to  mer- 
cantile or  pecuniary  concerns  beyond  the  demands  of  their  necessi- 
ties or  personal  comfort.  They  also  have  effected  great  things  by 
united  exertion,  but  they  have  no  traffic  with  the  surrounding 
country  beyond  the  limits  I  have  mentioned.  They  have  their 
capacious  granaries,  fine  mills,  and  machinery  of  various  kinds, 
but  they  adhere  to  their  object  of  living  in  Christian  fellowship, 
in  a  state  of  plenty  and  independence  of  the  world.  They  are  not 
merchants  or  money-changers,  and  when  visited  by  strangers, 
entertain  them  gratis.  This  you  will  allow  to  be  really  respect- 
able. 

T— 22 


338  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Having  mentioned  all  the  particulars  of  these  interesting  com- 
munities that  I  think  worthy  notice, 

I  remain, 

Dear  Sir, 

Your's  sincerely, 

W.  H. 

OBSERVATIONS,  &c. 

From  the  foregoing  circumstances  relative  to  the  Harmon- 
iane  and  Friends,  it  is  but  fair  to  conclude  that  if  a  society  could  be 
formed  of  any  convenient  number  of  families,  each  contributing 
only  one  hundred  pounds  towards  a  common  fund,  and  were  with 
this  to  seek  an  agricultural  and  manufacturing  establishment  in 
some"  convenient  situation  of  Great  Britain,  Ireland,  Hanover,  or 
any  part  of  protestant  Europe,  they  might  by  the  formation  of  an 
equitable  constitution,  and  the  enactment  of  a  suitable  code  of 
laws  which  should  always  preserve  the  door  of  regress  open  for 
insubordinate  or  discontented  members,  and  by  the  encourage- 
ment of  literary  and  scientific  pursuits  for  the  occupation  of  their 
leisure  time,  attain  to  a  degree  of  earthly  comfort,  not  unassociated 
with  refinement,  hitherto  unknown.  Such  a  society  would  of 
course  embrace  within  it  several  individuals  of  all  the  most  useful 
occupations  of  life,  and  every  thing  would  necessarily  be  effected 
for  the  benefit  of  the  community  upon  an  entire  system  of  recipro- 
cation; and  might  be  conducted  similarly  to  the  manner  in  which 
public  societies  are  generally  managed.  No  one  need  doubt  the 
practicability  of  this.  No  one  indeed  could  doubt  it,  who  had 
visited  Harmony,  and  seen  the  astonishing  effects  of  the  united 
and  systematic  industry  of  numbers,  and  the  numerous  comforts, 
as  well  as  the  security  derived  from  this  enlarged  system  of  social 
intercourse.  The  greatest  internal  obstacle  to  the  welfare  of  a 
society  of  this  kind  in  Europe  might  be  the  want  of  a  religious 
bond  of  union,  but  surely  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  with  all  its 
variety  of  sects,  ought  to  be  equal  to  this.  To  obviate  or  lessen  any 
difficulty  that  might  arise  from  difference  of  religious  opinion,  a 
general  spirit  of  forbearance  and  liberality  would  be  necessary,  and 
the  erection  of  places  of  worship  convenient  for  every  denomina- 
tion of  which  the  community  was  composed,  desirable;  the 
officiating  members  of  which  should  be  prohibited  by  the  constitu- 
tion, under  the  penalty  of  expulsion,  from  preaching  in  terms  offen- 
sive to,  or  abusive  of  the  tenets  of  Christians  of  other  sects,  or 
laying  any  stigma  on  any  system  or  kind  of  belief  whatever;  on  the 


WILLIAM  HEBERT.  339 

principle  that  differences  of  religious  opinion  are  within  the  deci- 
sion of  the  Deity  alone,  on  whose  favour  and  approbation  all  have 
an  equal  right  of  reliance.  The  objects  of  such  a  community  would 
be  industry,  society,  independence  or  self-subsistence,  leisure  for 
mental  culture,  and  rational  amusements;  and  freedom  from  the 
solicitude,  anxieties,  and  incertitude  of  pecuniary  pursuits  and 
possessions.  The  principal  obstacles  to  an  establishment  of  this 
kind  in  Europe,  would  arise  from  rent,  or  the  high  rate  of  the  pur- 
chase of  the  land,  the  exaction  of  taxes  and  military  service.  From 
the  last  of  these  however  exemption  might  generally  perhaps  be 
purchased,  and  the  first  and  second,  if  not  too  heavy,  might  be 
defrayed  from  the  funds,-or  by  the  sale  of  a  portion  of  the  produce 
or  manufactures  of  the  society.  America  however  has  every  civil 
advantage  and  natural  facility  for  such  a  society  to  Europe. 

To  some  it  might  appear  irksome,  and  perhaps  slavish,  to  be 
obliged  to  regulate  their  conduct  as  members  of  a  community,  by 
the  sound  of  a  bell  or  the  notes  of  a  horn,  but  this  feeling  could 
arise  only  in  the  absence  of  a  due  apprehension  of  the  situation, 
and  of  the  circumstances  of  the  case.  Those  persons  who  have  not 
property  to  live  independently  of  industry  must  exert  themselves 
for  their  support  in  some  way  or  other,  and  industry  is  pleasant 
in  proportion  to  its  regularity  and  moderation,  and  the  prospect  it 
affords  of  being  effective  of  comfortable  subsistence.  Every  per- 
son entering  an  association  of  the  kind  contemplated,  would  be 
sensible  that  it  could  exist  only  by  the  industry  of  all  its  mem- 
bers; that  by  the  exertion  of  this,  every  one  would  be  pursuing  his 
own  true  interests  as  a  proprietor,  by  contributing  to  the  utmost  of 
his  ability  to  the  welfare  of  the  society;  that  as  his  entrance  into  it 
was  voluntary,  so  would  his  continuance  in  it  be,  consistently 
with  its  constitution,  and  the  experience  of  two  or  three  years 
would  convince  its  members  that  the  daily  quantity  of  labour  and 
attention  requisite  to  its  concerns  would  be  very  far  less  than  is 
given  by  tradesmen  and  mechanics  in  Europe,  and  in  Great 
Britain  especially,  to  procure  their  comparatively  precarious  sub- 
sistence. On  the  other  hand,  one  might  suppose  a  due  apprecia- 
tion of  his  situation  would  be  calculated  to  make  every  individual 
•cheerfully  alert  in  the  performance  of  his  portion  of  assistance  in  a 
compact  based  on  the  sacred  principle  of  equity,  and  that  of 
mutuality  of  possession  and  enjoyment. 

-  An  agricultural  and  manufacturing  community,  subsisting  its 
members  in  plenty  and  respectability  upon  the  plan  of  that  bene- 
factor of  his  race,  Mr.  Robert  Owen,  and  somewhat  similar  to 


340  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

those  of  the  Friends  and  Harmonians,  would  be  but  carrying  the 
principle  of  Benefit  societies  as  far  as  it  would  go,  resting  it  upon 
that  of  an  equitable  reciprocation  of  services  amongst  all  its  mem- 
bers, which,  could  the  industry  and  concord  of  them  be  estab- 
lished, might  be  rendered  a  secure  and  pleasant  mode  of 
subsistence  to  hundreds,  and  in  different  communities  perhaps 
to  thousands. 

Although  this  plan  of  society  should  appear  to  be  not  without 
objection,  or  even  objectionable  on  several  accounts,  it  may  be 
asked,  whether  the  evils  of  insolvency  or  bankrupcy,  of  depend- 
ence and  poverty,  or  of  prisons  and  workhouses  are  not  greater 
and  more  numerous  than  those  of  the  plan  contemplated  could  be? 
Supposing  such  a  compact  to  be  practicable,  (and  with  the  socie- 
ties of  the  Harmonians  and  Friends  of  America  before  our  eyes 
who  can  doubt  it?)  he  that  was  hostile  to  it,  merely  on  account  of 
its  being  an  innovation,  would  be  hostile  to  his  own  nature  and 
fellow  men.  Such  a  system  of  society  could  not  indeed  hold 
together,  unless  a  large  majority  of  its  members  were  persons  of 
established  principles  of  virtue  and  of  matured  knowledge,  com- 
bined with  habits  of  activity  and  industry:  who  surveying  its 
objects  and  appreciating  its  advantages,  were  inflexibly  devoted  to 
its  welfare;  and  who  could  regulate  their  conduct  on  a  perfect 
conviction  of  the  tractableness  of  mankind  in  all  cases  and  situa- 
tions, consistently  with  their  knowledge  or  apprehension  of  fitness, 
propriety  and  real  utility.* 

*"On  the  experience  of  a  life  devoted  to  the  subject,  I  hesitate  not  to  say,  that  the 
members  of  any  community  may  by  degrees  be  trained  to  live  without  idleness,  without 
poverty,  without  crime,  and  without  punishment." 

"Any  general  character,  from  the  best  to  the  worst,  from  the  most  ignorant  to  the 
most  enlightened,  may  be  given  to  any  community,  even  to  the  world  at  large,  by  the 
application  of  proper  means. " 

"Human  nature,  save  the  minute  differences  which  are  ever  found  in  all  the  com- 
pounds of  the  creation,  is  one  and  the  same  in  all;  it  is  without  exception  universally 
plastic,  and  by  judicious  training  the  infants  of  any  one  class  in  the  world  may  be  readily 
formed  into  men  of  any  other  class;  even  to  believe  and  declare  that  conduct  to  be 
right  and  virtuous,  and  to  die  in  its  defence,  which  their  parents  had  been  taught  to 
believe  and  say  was  wrong  and  vicious,  and  to  oppose  which,  those  parents  would  also 
have  willingly  sacrificed  their  lives. " 

"All  men  may,  by  judicious  and  proper  laws  and  training,  readily  acquire  knowledge 
and  habits  which  will  enable  them,  if  they  be  permitted,  to  produce  far  more  than  they 
need  for  their  support  and  enjoyment;  and  thus  any  population  in  the  fertile  parts  of 
the  earth,  may  be  taught  to  live  in  plenty  and  in  happiness,  without  the  checks  of  vice 
and  misery. ' ' 

"Train  any  population  rationally  and  they  will  be  rational." 

"In  those  characters  which  now  exhibit  crime,  the  fault  is  obviously  not  in  the  in- 
dividual, but  the  defect  proceeds  from  the  system  in  which  the  individual  has  been 


WILLIAM  HEBERT.  341 

Some  persons  might  object  that  the  leisure  and  security  attend- 
ing such  a  plan  of  society  would  be  productive  of  idleness,  insub- 
ordination and  vice;  to  which  it  might  be  answered  that  this  result 
would  depend  on  the  previous  education  and  habits  of  its  members, 
and  exclusively  of  the  influence  of  their  new  social  compact;  but 
if  there  were  those  who  acted  so  injuriously  to  themselves  and  the 
society  to  which  they  belonged,  the  door  of  withdrawment  from  it 
would  be  opened  to  them,  however  reluctantly,  by  a  vote  of  the 
members,  through  which  it  would  be  necessary  for  such  unwise 
persons  to  pass,  before  their  evil  example  had  had  time  to  be 
extensively  productive  of  mischief,  but  not  before  they  had  proved 
themselves  irreclaimable  to  virtue  and  social  obligation. 

Some  persons  might  also  object  that  a  community  of  the  kind 
contemplated  would  in  the  course  of  years  by  the  natural  progress 
of  population  become  too  numerous  for  the  means  of  support 
contained  within  it;  to  which  it  is  answered,  that  it  is  not  pretended 
that  this  plan  of  society  would  be  wholly  without  its  difficulties,  as 
it  is  probable  no  human  arrangement  of  society  could  be.  Diffi- 
culty however,  like  danger  and  misfortune,  is  generally  greatest  in 
apprehension,  and  regulating  our  conduct  upon  right  principles, 
we  may  always  trust  to  events.  In  a  society  in  which  every  thing 
was  previously  established  on  the  simple  and  natural  law  of  justice 
and  reciprocation,  and  in  which  every  head  of  a  family  would  be 
equally  interested  in  the  adjustment  of  any  difficulty  that  arose, 
the  unanimity  of  sentiment  that  would  exist  in  regard  to  pre- 
vious circumstances  would  form  more  than  half  the  conquest  of 
every  source  of  embarrassment  that  occurred;  and  the  one  con- 
templated being  of  very  gradual  approach,  and  anticipated  by  the 
sagacity  of  the  senior  associates,  would  be  met  in  good  season,  and 
perhaps  adjusted  to  the  satisfaction  and  welfare  of  the  community. 

trained.  Withdraw  those  circumstances  which  tend  to  create  crime  in  the  human 
character,  and  crime  will  not  be  created. " 

"The  worst  formed  disposition  ....  will  not  long  resist  a  firm,  determined, 
well-directed,  persevering  kindness." 

"The  character  of  man  is,  without  a  single  exception,  always  formed  for  him." 

"Man  never  did,  nor  is  it  possible  he  ever  can,  form  his  own  character." 

"The  kind  and  degree  of  misery  or  happiness  experienced  by  the  members  of  any 
community,  depends  on  the  characters  which  have  been  formed  in  the  individuals 
which  constitute  the  community. " 

"Hitherto  indeed,  in  all  ages,  and  in  all  countries,  man  seems  to  have  blindly  con- 
spired against  the  happiness  of  man,  and  to  have  remained  as  ignorant  of  himself  as  he 
was  of  the  solar  system  prior  to  the  days  of  Copernicus  and  Galileo." 

Vide  "Owen's  new  view  of  Society. " 

A  work  which  for  correctness  of  views  of  human  nature  and  society,  and  benevolence 
of  design,  is  calculated  to  form  the  basis  of  a  vast  improvement  of  the  condition  of 
mankind. 


342  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

The  minds  of  men  being  at  ease,  and  satisfied  with  the  previous 
circumstances  of  their  situation,  it  is  impossible  to  say  what  sacri- 
fices would  not  be  offered  by  individuals  for  the  good  of  the  com- 
munity, upon  the  occurrence  of  a  natural  inconvenience  of  the 
kind  supposed,  or  how  far  a  generous  spirit  of  accommodation 
might  be  carried.  If  men  can  be  found  in  the  wide  and  tumultuous 
world  to  sacrifice  themselves  for  their  country,  surely  the  associates 
of  a  happy  Christian  and  philosophic  community  would  not  be 
found  inferior  in  disinterestedness.  The  means  of  support  to  a 
community  of  this  kind  would  of  course  have  a  limit,  and  when  the 
number  of  its  members  approached  its  maximum,  if  no  other 
remedy  could  be  devised,  a  resolution  might  be  passed  provid- 
ing, under  circumstances,  for  the  withdrawment  of  a  certain  num- 
ber of  its  members,  or  providing  for  the  formation  of  another  com- 
munity in  a  convenient  situation,  toward  which  every  facility 
would  of  course  be  afforded;  but  it  is  impossible  to  conjecture  what 
would  be  the  resources  of  a  society  that  was  animated  by  a  senti- 
ment of  unanimity,  approaching  to  that  of  obligation  or  friend- 
ship towards  each  other.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  human 
virtue  would  shine  as  brightly  in  this  situation  as  in  any  recorded 
in  history,  and  in  all  probability  with  this  difference,  that  it  would 
be  general  and  not  isolated.  The  condition  being  new,  consequently 
the  character  of  the  individuals  composing  such  a  community 
would  become  altogether  altered  and  raised,  as  is  the  case  in  a 
limited  degree  with  respect  to  the  working  citizens  of  the  United 
States  of  America  in  comparison  with  those  other  countries. 
My  imagination  is  warm  enough  to  believe  that  in  a  society  prop- 
erly constituted  and  regulated,  besides  being  productive  of  a  secure 
and  pleasant  subsistence,  every  scientific  pursuit,  and  every 
elegant  amusement  might  be  participated,  not  only  without 
injury,  but  to  the  happiness  of  its  members.  It  would  of  course 
possess  a  good  library,  a  well  supplied  reading  room,  and  appara- 
tus for  philosophical  research,  and  secure  a  liberal  education  for 
the  children. 

I  can  imagine  evening  field  sports,  and  sometimes  fetes- 
champetres,  in  which  recourse  might  be  had,  according  to  the 
taste  of  the  parties,  to  various  juvenile  recreations,  in  which  the 
grave  and  the  elderly  might  occasionally  join  without  dimunition 
of  the  respect  and  veneration  due  to  them.  If  industry  were  sup- 
ported by  virtue,  it  could  not  be  rendered  too  cheerful,  never  los- 
ing sight  of  moderation,  which  is  the  standard  of  wisdom  and 
enjoyment.  There  can  indeed  be  no  doubt  that  the  Deity  is  most 


WILLIAM  HEBERT.  343 

acceptably  worshipped  when  man  is  most  rationally  or  morally 
happy,  and  that  he  then  best  answers  the  object  of  his  creation. 

In  the  case  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  becoming  members  of  a 
community  of  this  kind,  who  might  not  be  used  to  manual  employ- 
ment of  any  very  necessary  or  useful  kinds,  and  who  could  not  be 
rendered  immediately  or  wholly  serviceable  to  the  society,  such 
persons  might  be  allowed  to  avail  themselves  externally  to  the 
society  of  any  acquirements  they  possessed  that  were  not  required 
by  it,  upon  their  paying  into  the  general  fund  an  equivolent  for 
their  personal  services,  or  such  portion  of  these  as  were  not  afforded 
to  the  society.  If  this  adjustment  could  not  in  all  cases  be  ren- 
dered so  precisely  exact  as  some  persons  might  require,  it  should 
never  be  forgotten  that  the  community  was  one  of  reciprocal  bene- 
fit, and  that  if  a  little  room  were  left  open  in  regard  to  the  admis- 
sion of  some  of  its  members,  for  the  exercise  of  liberality  or  benev- 
olence, it  would  be  of  no  disadvantage  to  the  society,  but  prob- 
ably contribute  to  its  prosperity,  as  it  would  certainly  augment  its 
respectability  and  its  happiness.  All  could  not  be  equally  useful 
members  perhaps  at  first,  and  none  could  contribute  more  than 
the  talents  they  possessed;  but  general  application  and  industry 
would  soon  equalize  the  services  of  the  members,  and  a  scale  of 
compensation  to  the  society  on  a  valuation  of  time,  might  be 
enacted  more  particularly  for  those  members  whose  talents  were 
deemed  of  inferior  value,  and  whose  circumstances  required  their 
occasional  absence. 

Not  to  anticipate  any  speedy  or  general  adoption  of  this  plan  of 
society,  it  would  yet  be  a  libel  equally  upon  human  virtue  and 
human  genius  to  say  that  society  can  never  be  modelled  locally  or 
in  small  detached  portions,  upon  principles  of  equity  and  reciproca- 
tion. It  needs  but  a  conviction  of  its  propriety  and  desirableness 
to  be  attempted;  and  perhaps  it  need  but  be  attempted  persever- 
ingly  and  consistently  to  be  brought  to  success.  It  would  mater- 
ially lessen  the  chance  of  failure  if  a  community  were  composed 
wholly  of  persons  of  one  denomination  or  class  of  Christians,  as 
they  would  thereby  possess  the  strongest  incentive  to  agreement, 
notwithstanding  that  a  religion  whose  bond  is  love  ought  to  unite 
all  denominations.  The  plan  of  society  under  consideration  seems 
particularly  applicable  to  persons  of  small  property  and  of  con- 
tracted connections;  to  persons  who  have  been  unfortunate  in 
business,  but  who  have  retained  their  integrity;  and  those  whose 
businesses  may  be  said  to  be  nearly  superseded  or  dissipated  in  the 
fluctuations  of  trade.  It  is  adapted  to  the  relief  of  those  who  are 


344  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

unable  to  withstand  the  excessive  competition,  the  redundancy  of 
talent,  or  the  pressure  of  the  times  singly;  and  to  those  who  pre- 
fer tranquillity  and  security  to  turmoil  and  uncertainty. 

Looking  at  the  principle  of  trade  and  commerce  morally  and 
independently  of  its  present  general  or  universal  necessity,  what  is  it 
but  petty  craft  from  the  merchant  to  the  pedler?  The  taking 
advantage  of  the  ignorance  or  the  unfavorable  situation  of  others 
for  the  procurement  or  production  of  an  article,  and  by  the  dis- 
posal of  it  at  a  profit  to  ourselves  to  draw  by  this  means  a  source 
of  subsistence  or  of  wealth  at  a  great  expense  of  every  feeling  of 
fellowship,  of  honor  and  generosity.  Is  not,  philosophically  speak- 
ing, the  toil  of  producing  the  elements  of  subsistence  and  the  con- 
veniences of  life,  sufficient,  without  the  addition  of  art  or  craft 
in  the  dealings  of  mankind  with  each  other?  It  has  been  said  of 
old  that,  "as  mortar  sticketh  between  the  stones  so  sticketh  fraud 
between  buying  and  selling,"  and  it  cannot  be  supposed  that  the 
Deity  designed  that  mankind  should  be  petty  tricksters  upon  one 
another  rather  than  equal  and  just  helpmates.  Why  could  not  the 
intercourse  of  mankind  be  founded  on  just  and  reciprocal  princi- 
ples, were  it  not  for  the  monopoly  of  the  earth,  and  the  various 
corrupt  circumstances  and  tyrannies  of  ancient  political  society? 
At  any  rate  there  is  no  natural  impossibility  that  mankind  should 
at  a  future  period  associate  in  detached  portions  upon  a  principle 
of  reciprocal  justice.  They  are  the  extremes  of  society  as  it  exists 
that  chiefly  require  reconciling,  and  being  brought  nearer  to  each 
other.  The  wealth  and  idleness  of  the  one  being  brought  to  the 
relief  of  the  poverty  and  slavery  of  the  other.  The  extremes  of 
society  form  its  greatest  deformity  and  infelicity.  Society  as  it 
exists  may  be  compared  to  a  connected  mass  of  building,  the 
greater  portion  of  which  exhibits  poverty  and  wretchedness  of 
construction,  a  second  portion  of  which  indicates  considerable 
convenience  and  comfort,  and  the  third  portion,  though  occupying 
much  less  space  than  either  of  the  others,  and  especially  than  the 
first,  is  composed  of  erections  of  such  lofty  and  commanding  sizes 
as  to  cause  the  whole  to  appear  an  unsightly  assemblage  of  irreg- 
ularity and  disproportion.  There  is  no  continuity  of  design  or 
proportion  of  parts  as  yet  in  society.  Society  is  doubtlessly  sus- 
ceptible of  vast  improvement,  and  when  the  laboring  classes  shall 
have  become  as  well-informed  as  the  middle  classes  are,  great 
alterations  it  may  be  hoped  will  be  effected  as  the  simple  result 
of  discussion,  and  a  more  equal  balance  of  possession  and  enjoy- 
ment established  through  the  whole.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed 


WILLIAM  HEBERT.  345 

that  the  present  fortuitous  jumble  of  dependance,  and  unjust  and 
partial  possession  of  the  earth,  the  mere  result  of  conquest  and 
subjection,  is  the  best  possible  economy  of  things.  Every  link  in 
the  chain  of  society  as  it  exists  is  dependance,  which  is  riveted 
throughout  by  the  fear  of  destitution.  How  inferior  this,  to  what 
would  be  a  rational  fellowship  of  industry  and  possession,  to  an 
exclusion  of  want,  and  of  apprehension  for  the  future!  Men  being 
by  nature  equal,  physically  and  morally  considered,  having  the 
same  wants  and  the  same  capacities  for  enjoyment,  wherefore,  it 
might  be  enquired  of  those  who  profess  to  believe  in  a  future  state, 
is  not  the  intercourse  of  mankind  founded  on  principles  of  recipro- 
cation and  justice,  analagous  to  their  nature  and  destination? 
It  is  not  to  be  believed  that  the  Deity  can  view  with  perfect  com- 
placency a  state  of  things  that  sets  a  small  portion  of  mankind  at 
an  immense  distance  from  the  majority;  that  gives  to  a  com- 
paratively few  individuals  almost  boundless  means  of  gratifica- 
tion, by  which  the  mass  are  impoverished;  whilst  many  can  scarcely 
obtain  the  elements  of  subsistence;  and  numbers  are  impressed 
into  the  service  of  vice  till  they  become  as  depraved  as  human 
nature  will  admit,  inflicting  on  the  whole  body  of  society,  with  a 
knowledge  of  their  crimes,  a  portion  of  their  infelicity.  Nine 
tenths  of  the  miseries  and  the  crimes  of  mankind  result  from  this 
unequal  and  unjust  state  of  things.  If  injustice  and  its  conse- 
quent evils  exist  extensively  in  society,  and  human  reason  can 
devise  the  means  of  their  correction  or  material  abatement,  where- 
fore should  not  this  be  attempted,  as  far  as  it  is  seen  and  acknowl- 
edged, upon  the  eternal  bases  of  equity  and  reciprocation?  The 
constant  pursuit  of  individual  gain  is  at  variance  with  the  duties 
and  affections  of  man,  considered  as  a  social  and  generous  being. 
The  opulent  dealer  who  extracts  a  large  profit  from  the  poor  man; 
the  wealthy  manufacturer  who  holds  the  mechanic  to  his  machin- 
ery at  a  price  just  commensurate  with  his  individual  subsistence, 
to  say  nothing  of  that  of  his  wretched  family;  and  the  rich  landed 
proprietor  who  retains  those  who  till  his  fields  in  a  state  of  penury 
and  pauperism,  are  excrescences  on  God's  earth,  which  he  gave  to 
all  mankind.  Individual  condition  in  humble  life  in  Europe,  and 
especially  in  Great  Britain,  has  constantly  to  withstand  what 
is  to  it  the  two-fold  evils  of  advancing  machinery  and  increasing 
population,  rendering  it  daily  more  precarious  and  more  scanty. 
Witness  the  frequency  and  increasing  extent  of  the  combinations 
and  strikings  of  the  operative  classes.  And  what  could  be  more 
rational  and  honorable  than  an  attempt  to  construct  society, 


346  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

though  locally  and  upon  a  small  scale,  upon  a  plan  of  common  prop- 
erty and  benefit,  aloof  from  the  petty  concealments  and  intric- 
acies, the  selfishness,  the  jealousies,  the  proverbial  absence  of 
friendship,  the  casualties  and  opposing  interests  of  ordinary  com- 
mercial life,  which  in  proportion  to  its  success  would  be  produc- 
tive of  peace,  goodwill,  security  and  contentment.  Such  a  plan  of 
society  would  tend  most  materially  and  directly  to  soften  the  pas- 
sions, and  consequently  to  encrease  the  enjoyment  of  life;  would 
remove  the  evils  of  dependence,  also  those  vast  sources  of  distress 
insolvency  and  bankruptcy  and  family  dissensions  arising  from  the 
unequal  distribution  of  property;  and  would  have  a  powerful 
tendency  to  check  the  ravages  of  insanity  and  suicide,  which  more 
frequently  result  from  pecuniary  embarrassment  than  any  other 
cause.  As  society  exists,  the  journeyman  shoe  maker  or  taylor 
has  infinitely  the  advantage  of  the  man  of  education  and  refine- 
ment, who  through  misfortune  is  reduced  to  poverty;  and  the 
cook  or  housemaid  has  infinitely  the  advantage  of  her  mistress, 
if  the  latter  is  through  any  calamity  brought  to  indigence.  How 
many  respectable  females  are  rendered  pennyless  through  the 
commercial  misfortune, 'imprudence,  or  dissipation  of  male  rela- 
tives, to  whom  their  property  was  entrusted!  And  how  many  men 
are  from  the  fluctuations  and  vicissitudes  of  the  commercial  world 
reduced  to  a  situation  in  comparison  with  which  that  of  the 
journeyman  artisan  in  employment  is  enviable!  The  distress  of 
the  humble  poor  is  frequently  obvious  to  the  sight,  besides  being 
rendered  so  to  the  ear,  but  the  difficulties  and  sufferings  experi- 
enced in  middle  and  genteel  life  are  silent  and  unseen.  Misfor- 
tune however  may  be  said  to  be  proportionate  to  the  sensi- 
bility of  the  unfortunate;  and  the  utmost  splendour  of  com- 
mercial life  is  but  splendid  dependance,  which  is  far  inferior  in 
real  dignity  to  moderate  competence  or  self-subsistence,  however 
humble.  That  which  is  wanting  to  society  is  a  foundation  in  equity 
to  which  all  might  appeal,  and  from  which  all  might  derive  sup- 
port by  the  performance  of  an  equitable  quantity  of  labour.  As 
society  exists,  the  condition  of  every  individual  not  born  to 
hereditary  property  is  perfectly  fortuitous.  Cannot  this  defect 
be  remedied?  Shall  it  never  be  remedied?  The  statesman  says 
no;  the  philanthropist,  that  it  ought  to  be,  if  it  be  practicable. 
As  society  exists  mankind  subsists  by  individual  ingenuity  and 
address,  and  by  the  advantages  which  one  individual  obtains 
over  another  by  whatever  means,  instead  of  associating  upon  a 
principle  of  natural  equity  befitting  rational  beings,  which  would 


WILLIAM  HEBEBT.  347 

put  vicissitude  and  want  and  distress  at  defiance.  If  Christendom 
were  truly  Christian,  there  would  exist  this  spirit  of  justice  and  of 
concord.  The  Christian  world  however  will  never  fully  deserve 
that  name  until  society  be  modelled  upon  and  governed  by  its 
precepts,  to  the  neglect  or  non-effectiveness  of  civil  and  military 
government,  to  which  latter  powers  Christianity  has  hitherto  been 
considered  merely  as  an  adjunct,  and  not  as  that  divine  code  of 
laws  which  should  supersede  all  others  that  are  opposed  to  it,  as 
the  products  only  of  human  weakness  or  depravity.  When  the 
Christian  world  becomes  really  Christian,  armies  will  cease  to  be 
marshalled  to  settle  its  disputes,  to  check  the  progress  of  knowledge 
or  crush  its  efforts  of  improvement.  Literature  will  not  be  cur- 
tailed and  fashioned  by  censorships,  like  trees  by  the  shears  of  a 
whimsical  gardener.  A  congress  of  wise  and  good  men  from  all  its 
parts,  (not  of  belted  chieftains,)  will  settle  the  first  in  peace  and 
welcome  and  foster  the  last. 

Human  nature  being  not  merely  ductile,  but  its  ductility  being 
almost  without  limit,  the  basis  of  an  improved  system  of  society 
would  be  the  effect  of  a  general  perception  of  error  in  the  common 
estimation  of  wealth  and  power.  True  wealth  is  self-enjoyment; 
true  power,  the  command  over  one's-self;  and  no  perception  of 
individual  property  and  power  as  they  exist,  (which  generally 
afflict  by  the  weight  of  anxiety  they  entail,)  could  equal  the  enjoy- 
ment that  would  result  from  the  consciousness  of  being  the  free 
and  equal  member  of  an  equitably  constituted  society,  which 
would  be  proportionably  relieved  of  vice  and.the  numerous  infelici- 
ties attending  the  existing  intercourse  of  mankind.  History  is 
decidedly  hostile  to  the  opinion  that  individual  enjoyment  is  the 
general  concomitant  of  power,  notwithstanding  that  the  love, 
and  consequent  pursuit  of  power  is  the  general  foible  of  mankind. 
"Uneasy  lies  the  head  that  wears  a  crown,"  and  arduous  are  its 
duties  if  faithfully  and  honourably  performed.  The  eminences  of 
power  and  wealth  are  doubtlessly  like  other  objects  of  human 
pursuit  that  have  merely  personal  gratification  or  aggrandize- 
ment for  their  end,  being  more  attractive  and  promising  at  a 
distance  than  satisfactory  or  pleasurable  in  the  possession.  A 
period  may  indeed  arrive  when  the  resources  of  ingenuity  in  manu- 
factures and  commerce  may  fail  to  such  an  extent  as  to  render  an 
adjustment  of  the  condition  of  mankind  locally  or  nationally, 
upon  principles  of  equity  imperiously  necessary,  as  those  resources 
have  long  failed  to  the  purpose  of  general  subsistence  without  the 
vast  aid  of  the  poor  laws,  those  wretched  supports  of  indigence 


348  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

which  just  enable  it  to  limp  along  or  to  prolong  its  sufferings.  A 
period  may  arrive  when  from  the  increased  numbers  of  mankind 
manual  labor  shall  of  necessity  supersede  the  use  of  machinery,  as 
the  latter  is  now  permitted  or  rather  stimulated  for  purposes  of 
revenue  and  commerce  to  operate  to  the  injury  and  deprivation  of 
millions.  When  manufactures  may  be  so  diffused,  improved  and 
simplified  in  their  production  throughout  the  commercial  world  as 
to  render  the  shiftings  and  refinements  of  commercial  treaties, 
and  of  import  and  of  export  regulations,  of  little  or  no  avail; 
when  national  independence  or  self-subsistence  shall  be  deemed 
the  standard  of  security  and  respectability;  and  when  human 
knowledge  may  have  attained  that  maturity  of  growth  as  no  longer 
to  tolerate  the  existing  crudities  of  the  commercial  and  political 
world.  That  human  society  is  in  a  state  of  great  immaturity  is 
evident,  or  mankind  would  not  be  subject  to  all  the  evils  atten- 
dant on  the  vicissitudes  and  fluctuations  of  the  political  and  com- 
mercial world.  Nor  would  the  vast  majority  of  mankind  be  miser- 
ably dependent  on  the  minority.  This  cannot  exist  when  the 
former  shall  be  as  well  informed  as  the  latter,  when  knowledge  shall 
shed  its  rays  like  the  meridian  sun.  It  does  not  indeed  exist  in 
the  United  States  of  America  which  seem  destined  to  reform  both 
the  political  and  social  system  of  Europe.  Nearly  the  whole  con- 
tinent of  America  now  invites  to  a  better  order  of  things.  Its 
desert  regions  from  nearly  one  end  of  it  to  the  other  inviting  the 
philosopher  and  the  philanthropist  to  aim  at  a  better  construc- 
tion of  human  society;  a  construction  less  opposed  to  the  equality 
of  natural  right  and  of  natural  wants,  and  better  adapted  to 
moral  improvement  and  social  enjoyment. 

In  regard  to  the  different  degrees  of  enjoyment  experienced  in 
two  situations  of  the  established  form  of  society,  it  may  be  en- 
quired which  generally  appear  to  possess  the  greatest  share  of 
enjoyment,  those  persons  who  are  immersed  in  business  to  the 
whole  extent  of  their  property,  or  those  whose  competence  is 
ascertained,  and  who  live  a  retired  life?  I  imagine  that  in  nine- 
teen cases  out  of  twenty,  the  latter  situation  is  by  far  the  pref- 
erable one,  and  that  most  persons  would  allow  this.  If  so,  then 
would  that  be  the  best  system  of  society  that  should  the  most 
nearly  assimilate  to  this  preferable  situation,  consistently  with  the 
welfare  of  all  its  members.  If  man  be  a  social  being,  society  should 
be  universally  a  source  of  support,  of  improvement  and  happiness, 
instead  of  being  as  it  is  in  innumerable  cases,  a  source  of  destitu- 
tion, of  depravity,  and  consequent  misery;  and  that  would  be  the 


WILLIAM  HEBERT.  349 

best  plan  of  society  that  was  the  most  equal  and  reciprocal,  and 
consequently  the  most  rational  and  virtuous.  It  has  however 
been  the  lamentable  conduct  of  statesmen,  (though  in  some  cases 
no  doubt  unintentionally)  to  degrade  and  brutalize  human  nature 
to  the  utmost,  to  render  it  familiar  with  privation  and  suffering, 
and  every  moral  corruption.  If  revenue  have  been  collected 
and  armies  kept  on  foot,  private  condition  with  the  artisan  and  the 
labourer  has  been  too  generally  a  matter  of  little  moment.  A  cer- 
tain extent  of  destitution  has  indeed  been  considered  by  eminent 
statesmen  as  an  essential  circumstance  of  political  government, 
seeing  that  without  that  source  of  impressment  into  its  service  its 
strongest  arm  of  power  could  not  be  maintained.  But  if  society  be 
a  good  in  its  natural  tendency,  it  may  be  enquired,  whether  it  be 
sufficiently  perfect;  whether  it  cannot  be  rendered  more  perfect, 
more  equitable,  and  consequently  less  productive  of  misery? 
If  society  be  susceptible  of  improvement  upon  natural  and  equit- 
able principles,  then  would  that  be  the  preferable  system  of  inter- 
course in  which  the  selfish,  the  violent,  and  malignant  passions 
would  be  least  liable  to  be  agitated;  in  which  the  turmoil  of  pecuni- 
ary and  political  pursuits  would  be  quashed;  in  which  the  elation 
and  depression  of  mind  attending  the  vicissitudes  of  fortune  would 
be  subdued  into  a  moderate  and  even  pleasurable  quantity  of 
beneficial  employment;  in  which  the  acquisition  of  knowledge, 
and  the  various  enjoyments  of  society  would  have  the  freest 
scope;  in  which  the  sacred  tie  of  marriage  would  be  allowed  to  take 
place  at  suitable  ages  unobstructed  by  considerations  of  property 
and  the  frequent  averice  of  parents;  in  which  the  most  deplorable 
circumstances  of  society  as  it  exists  would  not  have  place;  and  in 
which  the  education  of  youth  would  all  form  primary  and  essen- 
tial objects  of  the  care  of  its  members.  If  there  be  reason  in  this, 
both  virtue  and  humanity  bid  us  hope  that  a  gradual  improvement 
in  society,  commensurate  with  the  progress  of  knowledge  and  of 
the  true  economy  of  life,  may  take  place.  Nothing  further  is 
wished  or  contemplated,  as  it  would  not  be  reasonable  to  set  a 
man  or  a  number  of  men  to  grope  for  a  treasure  in  the  dark,  or  to 
make  experiments  that  might  result  in  their  injury  or  destruction. 
But  if  the  foregoing  observations  are  warranted  by  truth  and  the 
real  nature  of  things,  then  may  one  day  the  restless  votaries  of 
ambition  and  of  wealth  in  Europe  borrow  valuable  instruction 
from  the  Societies  of  Harmonians  and  Friends  in  America,  or  from 
societies  constituted  upon  similar  but  improved  and  equitable 
principles,  adapted  to  all  the  purposes  of  moral  and  refined  society 


350  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

and  every  human  relationship.  All  persons  of  habits  of  business 
must  be  sensible  that  it  is  a  desirable  thing  to  abridge  the  hours 
devoted  to  it  within  a  space  to  allow  of  a  due  attention  to  domes- 
tic concerns,  to  personal  comfort,  to  the  instruction  of  children,  to 
reading,  to  scientific  pursuit,  recreation  and  the  enjoyment  of 
society,  all  which  objects  are  greatly  obstructed  by  the  enormous 
portion  of  time  devoted  by  tradesmen  to  their  businesses  in  order 
to  support  their  numerous  responsibilities;  and  journeymen, 
artisans  and  labourers  in  employment  have  no  time  whatever  for 
these  desirable  and  necessary  objects,  except  on  Sundays;  all 
which  circumstances  however  would  be  most  materially  and  bene- 
ficially attained  upon  the  equitable  and  rational  plan  of  society 
contemplated,  which  would  also  as  naturally  tend  to  check  the 
selfish  and  sordid  affections  as  the  existing  form  of  society  con- 
tributes to  excite  them.  .What  could  be  more  proper  than  for 
various  artisans  and  agriculturists- after  the  work  of  the  day  was 
over,  and  they  had  had  time  to  refresh  themselves  at  home,  and 
to  attend  to  various  matters,  to  meet  as  inclination  prompted  in  a 
reading  room  or  library,  for  the  purpose  of  reading  or  conversa- 
tion on  subjects  of  physical  science  or  any  other  more  interesting 
to  them,  instead  of  living  in  ignorance  and  poverty,  neglecting 
their  families  from  necessity,  and  from  bad  habits  and  associa- 
tions, wasting  their  little  leisure  time,  their  money  and  health  at 
public  houses?  The  plan  of  society  under  consideration  is  simply 
an  extensive  and  equitable  partnership  in  all  the  essentials  of 
life,  or  a  complete  and  perfect  Benefit  Society,  based  in  the  equal 
or  proportionate  stake  of  all  its  members,  in  which  the  social  feel- 
ings would  be  more  freely  and  constantly  exercised  than  in  the 
present  form  of  society.  Though  it  be  allowed  that  the  present 
state  of  society  in  Europe  is  commensurate  with  its  progress  in 
knowledge,  and  that  it  is  a  great  amelioration  of  that  of  the 
Gothic  or  Feudal  ages,  it  does  not  follow  that  a  still  better  order 
of  things  shall  not  take  place  when  that  highest  of  all  the  sciences, 
the  science  of  human  life  in  society,  shall  be  better  understood  and 
more  justly  appreciated  in  its  enjoyments  and  object.  The  pres- 
ent form  of  society  in  Europe  is  merely  a  modification  or  ameliora- 
tion of  Feudalism,  be  that  modification  or  amelioration  great  or 
little,  and  the  problem  for  the  philosopher  and  the  philanthropist  of 
the  present  day  is,  whether  society  be  susceptible  of  a  basis  and 
super-structure  in  equity,  consistently  with  the  natural  equality 
and  dignity  of  mankind. 

If  then  reason,  equity  and  humanity  be  allied  against  ancient 


WILLIAM  HEBERT.  351 

political  society  with  all  its  tyrannies  and  usurpations,  the  ques- 
tion is  whether  the  former  shall  always  be  overborne  by  the  crude 
assemblage  of  circumstances  derived  from  the  infancy  and 
pristine  ignorance  of  mankind;  or  whether  that  form  of  society  or 
settling  of  things  which  conquest  or  brute  force,  aided  by  super- 
stition, impressed  on  the  weakness  and  ignorance  of  mankind, 
shall  always  prevail  over  that  which  reason  would  dictate,  which 
equity  and  humanity  demand,  or  which  a  council  of  philosophic 
friends  of  mankind  would  prescribe,  acting  upon  the  present  or 
future  knowledge  of  mankind?  Shall  improvements  and  discov- 
eries be  constantly  going  forward  in  physics,  and  none  be  made  in 
society,  or  the  art  of  living  in  society?  And  notwithstanding  that 
prejudiced  persons  are  apt  to  scoff  at  all  plans  for  the  ameliora- 
tion of  the  condition  of  mankind  as  merely  visionary  or  Utopian 
schemes,  it  is  consolatory  to  reflect,  that  the  opposition  alluded 
to  is,  in  some  instances,  no  purer  in  its  source  than  was  that  of  the 
Roman  clergy  against  the  reforming  doctrines  of  Erasmus  and 
Luther;  and  no  more  founded  in  nature  or  truth  than  that  of  the 
Spanish  nobles  against  the  geographical  principles  of  Christopher 
Columbus. 

It  may  remain  for  the  writer  of  the  foregoing  to  assure  his 
readers  that  no  part  of  it  is  intended  in  any  manner  to  wound  the 
feelings  of  individuals  of  any  class  or  station  of  life  whatever. 
Individual  excellence  is  to  be  found  in  every  rank  and  walk  of 
life,  and  is  perfectly  compatible  with  great  imperfection  in  the 
frame  of  government  and  that  of  society  generally,  which  imper- 
fection is  deducible  from  the  circumstances  of  their  origin  and  prog- 
ress. It  is  incumbent  on  the  privileged  orders  of  society  only  to 
bear  their  ascendency  with  meekness  and  liberality,  it  not  being 
the  fault  of  any  individual  belonging  to  them  that  he  was  born  ,to 
a  title  not  known  in  moral  estimation,  or  to  the  possession  of 
thousands  of  acres  of  the  earth  under  a  system  of  things  which 
denies  to  the  vast  majority  a  square  foot.  Although  the  iron 
sword  of  an  ancestor  or  the  lavish  gift  of  a  conqueror  includes  but  a 
slender  moral  title  to  the  possession  of  an  estate  which  would  afford 
thousands  of  fellow-beings  subsistence,  it  is  not  to  be  expected 
that  the  hereditary  possessors  of  the  earth  will  yield  their  mo- 
nopoly of  it  until  they  shall  all  be  presented  with  what  they  may 
deem  an  equivalent  in  a  greater  degree  of  moral  and  social  happi- 
ness, resulting  from  equity  being  established  as  the  foundation  of 
society.  The  privileged  orders  of  the  present  generation  and  those 
for  some  ages  past  are  altogether  innocent  of  the  monstrous  dis- 


352  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

parity  of  circumstances  deducible  from  conquest  and  priestcraft 
acting  upon  the  ignorance  and  weakness  of  mankind.  The  error  or 
crime  of  the  case  is  attributable  only  to  the  system,  and  not  to  any 
class  of  individuals  who  are  the  subjects  of  it.  It  is  for  the  present 
generation  only  to  take  care  that  the  "march  of  sound  knowledge'' 
be  facilitated  to  the  utmost.  That  improvement  be  not  confined  to 
physical  science  merely;  but  that  it.be  admitted  to  modify,  or 
remodel  society,  as  the  pressure  of  political  circumstances  on  indi- 
vidual condition,  or  more  correct  views  of  human  nature  or  of 
the  economy  of  life  may  suggest. 

The  writer  when  in  Philadelphia,  in  June,  1823,  had  put  into  his  hand  by  an  ac- 
quaintance, (an  opulant  farmer  and  grazier  from  the  west  of  England,  who  was  then 
seeking  an  establishment  for  himself  and  an  extensive  connection  in  the  United  States). 
a  pamphlet  written  by  a  Mr.  Brayshaw  from  Scotland,  who  had  then  recently  arrived 
in  America  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  tour  of  the  western  states,  with  the  view  to 
ascertain  a  situation  for  the  establishment  of  a  society  upon  the  principle  of  an  equit- 
able participation  of  labour  and  capital,  from  which  the  following  is  an  extract : 

"According  to  the  present  form  or  construction  of  society,  the  interest  of  every 
individual  is  placed  in  opposition  to  the  interests  of  other  individuals,  and  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  interests  of  society  at  large.  In  my  own  opinion, by  carefully  tracing  effects 
to  their  causes,  I  shall  be  able  to  prove  that  this  opposition  of  interests  is  the  funda- 
mental cause  of  the  greatest  part  of  the  evils  which  now  afflict  or  ever  have  afflicted 
the  human  species;  and  I  think  if  I  succeed  in  this  point,  I  shall  be  warranted  in  con- 
cluding that  if  it  be  possible  to  give  such  a  construction  to  human  society  as  shall  have 
the  effect  of  uniting  the  common  interests  of  mankind,  by  making  the  interest  of  the 
whole  the  interest  of  every  individual,  and  the  interest  of  every  individual  the  interest 
of  the  whole  body,  such  a  state  of  things  would  remove  the  causes  of  the  evil,  and  banish 
the  greatest  part  of  the  miseries  which  at  present  afflict  mankind." 


WILLIAM  HEBEET.  353 

A 

SKETCH 

for  the  formation  of  a 
SOCIETY  OF  MUTUAL  CO-OPERATION 

and 
COMMUNITY  of  PROPERTY, 

To  be  composed  of  tradesmen,   farmers,   clerks,   mechanics, 
&c.  intended  to  be  established  in  the  state  of  New  York. 


Art.  1.  It  is  proposed  that  the  Society  shall  in  the  first 
instance  consist  of  about  a  hundred  families,  exclusively  of  single 
members. 

2.  That  the  capital  to  be  introduced  by  every  adult 
male  member  be  not  less  when  arrived  in  America  and  at  the  set- 
tlement, than   £11.  5s.  (50  dollars,)  nor  more    than  £900.  (4000 
dollars.) 

3.  That  the  whole  of  the  property  of  the  Society  be 
divided  into  shares,  and  that  a  share  be  equal  to  the  smallest  sub- 
scription, viz.  £11.  5s. 

4.  That  the  less  opulent  members  shall  have  the  oppor- 
tunity by  their  industry  of  increasing  their  property  in  the  society 
in  proportion  to  that  of  the  other  members,  and  that  an  equitable 
adjustment  of  the  value  of  time  be  made  for  the  whole  of  the 
members. 

5.  That  the  affairs  of  the  Society  be  conducted  by  a 
rotary  committee,  or  board  of  management,  of  all  its  members  in 
succession,  which  committee  or  board  of  management  to  be  chosen 
monthly,  quarterly,  or  half  yearly.     To  consist  of  -          -  mem- 
bers. 

6.  That  the  capital  of  the  Society,  after  the  purchase  of 
the  land,  the  expense  of  the  first  clearing,  fencing  and  building, 

(This  outline  of  a  self-subsistent  community  was  made  by  the  author  of  the  fore- 
going pages  at  the  suggestion  of  a  friend  from  New  York,  where  a  few  gentlemen  con- 
templated the  formation  of  a  society  of  this  kind,  toward  which  it  was  proposed  that 
every  one  designing  to  become  a  member  should  contribute  a  plan  or  certain  articles ; 
since  which  time,  and  within  a  few  days,  he  has  been  fortunate  enough  to  meet  with  Mr. 
Owen's  "AMERICAN  DISCOURSES,  &c."  and  the  "ARTICLES  OF  AGREEMENT 
OF  THE  LONDON  CO-OPERATIVE  SOCIETY,"  in  which  publications  the  prin- 
ciples of  this  plan  of  society  are  detailed,  and  its  advantages  and  general  attractive- 
ness rendered  apparent.) 

T— 23 


354  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

(this  to  be  done  by  natives)  the  purchase  of  cattle  and  other  live 
stock,  implements,  machinery,  &c.,  be  vested  in  the  United  States 
Bank,  in  the  names  of  all  the  members  of  the  Society. 

7.  That  every  male  member  of  the  Society  shall  engage 
to  employ  himself  in  any  and  every  manner  that  shall  at  any 
time  be  determined  by  the  existing  board  of  management;  that 
there  shall  be  no  exclusive  employments;  and  that  every  male 
member  be  eligible  to  every  employment  or  office  to  which  he  is 
nominated  by  the  managing  board  or  committee  for  the  time  being, 
or  by  the  election  of  not  less  than  two-thirds  of  the  members  of  the 
Society. 

8.  That  it  is  a  radical  principle  of  this  society  that 
labour  of  every  necessary  or  useful  description  is  honourable; 
that  true  respectability  consists  in  integrity  of  character  and 
utility  of  conduct.     That  what  must  be  done  by  some  may  be 
done  by  all.    That  idleness,  as  opposed  to  usefulness  and  to  hon- 
esty is  despicable,  and  to  be  abhorred. 

9.  That  the  constitution  of  this  society  be  enacted  in 
every  article  by  at  least  three-fourths  of  all  the  members,  and 
that  not  less  than  three-fourths  of  all  the  members  be  at  all  times 
competent  to  alter  or  amend  it. 

10.  That  it  shall  be  allowable  for  any  number  of  the 
members  to  practice  or  follow  any  trade  or  calling  required  for  the 
benefit  of  the  society;  and  that  the  artisans  of  any  particular  trade 
do  instruct  as  many  of  the  other  members  as  may  be  desired  by  the 
existing  board  of  management ;  in  return  for  which  the  members  so 
teaching,  will  themselves  receive  instruction  as  the  wants  or  cir- 
cumstances of  the  society  require;  reciprocal  service  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  whole  being  the  principle  of  action  throughout  the  com- 
munity.    In  some  cases  the  thanks  of  the  society  may  be  voted 
to  an  individual  who  evinces  a  particular  readiness,  activity,  or 
perseverance  in  this  respect. 

11.  That  the  value  of  time  devoted  to  the  concerns  of  the 
society  in  whatever  trade,  calling,  or  office,  be  considered  uniform 
and  equal  amongst  all  its  male  members;  and  that  the  average 
length  of  a  day's  work  required  by  the  society,  exclusively  of  time 
for  meals  or  refreshment,  throughout  the  year  be  eight  hours, 
excepting  on  particular  emergencies  when  it  may  be  extended  to 
any  length  required.    That  it  be  considered  at  a  subsequent  period 
of  the  establishment  whether  the  term  of  eight  hours'  labour  per 
day  may  not  be  reduced  to  six. 

12.  That  every  male  member  do  learn  to  practice  some 


WILLIAM  HEBERT.  355 

one  necessary  or  useful  trade  or  calling,  in  addition  to  the  per- 
formance of  his  duty  as  an  agriculturist  or  other  labourer;  that 
domestic  manufactures  in  as  great  a  variety  as  possible  may  be 
constantly  going  forward. 

13.  That  no  exception  whatever  shall  be  taken,  or  objec- 
tion made,  on  account  of  the  religious  persuasions  or  opinions  of 
any  member  of  this  society.    That  the  expression  of  opinion  be  as 
free  as  air.    That  moral  character  be  solely  looked  to,  this  being 
indispensable  to  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  the  society  collec- 
tively and  individually. 

14.  That  the  wives  and  children  of  members  be  allowed 
to  work  at  any  business  or  calling  that  they  may  be  desirous  of,  at  . 
regulated  prices  and  on  regulated  terms.    That  the  wives  of  mem- 
bers have  the  right  of  voting  and  of  expressing  their  opinions  at  all 
general  meetings  of  the  society,  and  that  the  females  elect  each 
other  to  all  the  departments  of  female  employment  of  the  society. 

15.  That  the  children  of  the  members  be  educated  upon 
the   Lancastrian   plan,   and  that  their  education  be  rendered  as 
liberal  and  philosophic  as  possible;  to  the  exclusion  however  of  the 
retarding  and  profitless  burthen  of  the  dead  languages.     That 
every  arrangement  be  made  to  facilitate  the  society,  recreation, 
and  instruction  of  the  infant  children  of  the  members. 

16.  That  the  principles  of  the  society  be  in  the  strict- 
est sense  equal  and  democratic;  that  equity  and  wisdom,  and  not 
property  may  govern.     That  to  this  end,  as  the  interest  of  the 
proprietor  of  one  share  will  be  equal  to  that  of  the  proprietor  of 
five  or  ten,  considered  as  the  whole  of  their  vested  property  respec- 
tively, and  in  a  regard  to  the  welfare  of  their  families  in  the  society, 
that  the  rights  of  the  members  be  in  all  respects  equal,  that  all 
votes  be  equal,  and  that  no  member  have  more  than  one  vote  upon 
any  question  or  occasion  whatever. 

17.  That  all  disputes,  misunderstandings,  or  dissatisfac- 
tion arising  between  members,  be  settled  by  arbitration,  the  arbi- 
trators to  be  chosen  by  ballott,  either  from  the  existing  board  of 
management  or  from  the  members  in  general. 

18.  That  the  society  have  the  power  of  expelling  any 
member  for  continued  idleness,  misconduct,  or  immorality,  by  a 
vote  of  not  less  than  three-fourths  of  the  whole  of  the  members; 
and  that  the  property  of  such  individual  be  valued  and  paid  to  him 
at  the  time  of  his  quitting  the  society. 

19.  That  no  member  of  the  society  shall  go  to  law  with, 
or  sue  another  member  for  debt,  or  upon  any  account  whatever; 


356  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  doing  which,  shall  be  deemed  on  the  part  of  the  individual  an 
act  of  self-expulsion  from  this  society,  which,  if  necessary,  shall 
maintain  the  defendant's  cause. 

20.  That  the  society,   collectively,   may  purchase   the 
property  of  any  member  that  may  be  desirous  of  withdrawing  from 
it,  but  that  members  can  not  sell  or  transfer  their  shares  to  each 
other,  the  whole  of  the  property,  with  the  exception  of  household 
furniture,  clothing,  books,  plate,  &c.,  being  the  property  of  the 
society.    That  the  property  in  shares  of  every  member  being  vested 
in  the  society,  be  disposable  only  by  the  society  at  a  general  meet- 
ing; and  that  a  majority  of  not  less  than  two-thirds  of  the  whole 
of  the  members  be  requisite  in  all  cases  of  the  sale  of  shares.     This 
restriction  is  enacted  solely  to  prevent  partial  interests  and  obli- 
gations; the  servitude  of  the  less  opulent  or  poorer  members  upon 
the  others;  and  all  doubtfulness,  perplexity,  or  confusion  in  respect 
to  immoveable  property,  and  its  consequent  disputes. 

21.  That  as  a  true  and  equal  economy  should  govern 
every  circumstance  of  the  society,  it  be  enacted,  that  no  more 
horses  or  cattle  shall  be  kept  by  the  society  than  are  necessary  or 
useful.    That  no  member  shall  keep  any  horse,  cow,  sheep  or  pigs 
for  his  private  use  without  making  a  fair  allowance  to  the  society 
for  such  part  of  their  keep  as  is  derived  from  the  society's  prop- 
erty. 

22.  That  the  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  pigs,  fowls,  ducks, 
geese,  &c.,  the  property  of  the  society,  be  equitably  used  and 
participated  by  all  the  members;  and  every  article  of  consumption, 
when  necessary,  rated  at  the  time's  market  price,  and  every  family 
debited  with  the  quantity  or  amount  of  its  demands  or  consump- 
tion; which  debit,  together  with  that  on  account  of  wearing  ap- 
parel, &c.,  be  regularly  placed  against  the  amount  of  its  earnings, 
and  the  balance  placed  to  the'  account  of  capital  in  the  society's 
stock  of  every  family  once  in  every  year. 

23.  That  regular  and  correct  accounts  be  kept  of  the 
society's  property,  and  of  all  its  transactions,  both  internal  and 
external. 

24.  That  convenient  stores  be  kept  of  all  the  society's 
property  for  disposal  to  its  members,  or  for  sale  to  the  public;  and 
that  the  primitive  and  fair  principle  of  barter  upon  a  valuation  by 
the  quantity  of  time  and  labour  employed  in  production,  be  acted 
upon  to  the  utmost  extent,  both  within,  and  without  the  society. 

25.  That  every  member  shall  devote  his  time  as  regu- 


WILLIAN  HEBERT.  357 

lated  by  the  society  to  its  concerns  and  interests,  and  be  resident 
on  its  land. 

26.  That  after  the  daily  employment  of  eight  hours  in 
the  service  of  the  society,  every  member  be  wholly  at  his  own  dis- 
posal, and  may  employ  himself  for  the  remainder  of  his  time  in  any 
manner  that  his  inclination  may  prompt.    That  the  products  of 
the  private  and  extra  industry  of  the  members  be  offered  to  the 
society  at  fair  prices,  and  if  purchased  by  it,  that  the  parties  be 
credited  by  the  amount,  or  should  the  society  not  purchase  such 
produce  of  the  extra  industry  of  its  members,  that  the  latter  be  at 
liberty,  after  having  offered  it  to  the  society,  to  dispose  of  it  out  of 
the  society  for  their  own  private  benefit. 

27.  That  any  member  wishing  to  quit  the  society  may  at 
Christmas  in  each  year  give  written  notice  of  such  wish,  upon 
receiving  which,  the  society  must  within  a  month  after,  make  an 
election  of  either  purchasing  the  share  in  the  society's  stock  of 
such  individual  and  family,  or  of  accepting  a  substitute  for  him, 
subject  in  either  case  to  the  approval  of  not  less  than  two-thirds  of 
the  whole  of  the  members. 

28.  That  a  law  be  enacted  to  settle  and  determine  the 
mode  in  which  the  widows  and  children  of  deceased  members  shall 
succeed  to  their  property  and  be  retained  in  the  society,  render- 
ing to  the  widows  and  children  of  worthy  members  the  utmost  pro- 
tection, sympathy  and  kindness;  as  also  the  manner  of  payment  to 
such  widows  and  children  as  may  be  desirous  of  withdrawing  from 
the  society. 

29.  That  a  piece  of  ground  be  enclosed  and  kept  sacred  as 
a  burial  ground,  for  such  of  the  members  as  may  prefer  being 
interred  within  the  society's  land.    That  grave  stones  be  erected, 
and  the  ground  kept  in  the  utmost  order.     That  all  funerals  be 
performed  by  the  society  and  without  expense  to  the  afflicted 
family. 

30.  That  every  member  of  the  society  do  occupy  for 
himself  and  family  in  permanency,  a  cottage  and  garden,  com- 
prised within  about  a  quarter  of  an  acre  of  ground.    That  the  cot- 
tages of  the  society  be  built  detached,  (or  two  together,  if  deemed 
preferable,)  all  of  the  same  size,  and  upon  the  same  plan,  conven- 
ient for  a  family. 

31.  That  the  cottages  of  the  society  be  built  so  as  to 
form  a  spacious  square,  open  at  the  angles,  and  open  also  in  the 
centre  of  each  side,  of  sufficient  width  to  form  streets,  in  order  to 
provide  for  the  increase  of  its  members  without  crowding  the 


358  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

square.  That  the  square  forming  the  village  have  a  circular  enclos- 
ure within  it,  in  the  centre  of  which,  to  be  erected  with  all  possible 
neatness,  a  Building  for  Public  Worship,  and  the  various  purposes 
of  the  society.  That  the  enclosure  be  laid  out  into  walks,  planted 
with  fruit  and  other  trees,  furnished  with  benches,  and  kept  with 
all  the  neatness  of  a  London  square.  The  enclosure  to  serve  as  a 
play-ground  for  the  children,  and  for  the  evening  walks  and 
recreations  of  the  members.  That  the  storehouses,  granaries, 
factories,  workshops,  tannery,  brewhouse,  barns,  stables,  cattle- 
sheds,  stack  yards,  &c.,  &c.,  be  arranged  in  the  outer  square 
beyond  the  gardens  of  the  village,  and  having  a  good  road  all 
round  between  these  and  the  front  of  those  buildings  and  appur- 
tenances; which  road  to  be  connected  with  the  inner  square  by 
streets  formed  from  the  angles  of  both  squares,  and  others  from 
the  centre  of  the  sides  of  each.  It  is  presumed  that  this  plan  would 
embrace  contiguity  and  general  convenience,  at  the  same  time 
that  offensiveness  of  all  kinds  would  be  removed  to  a  desirable 
distance.  It  would  perhaps  be  desirable  that  the  central  build- 
ing were  divided  on  the  ground  floor  into  two  compartments,  and 
that  one  of  these  were  exclusively  appropriated  to  religious  pur- 
poses, the  different  denominations  into  which  the  society  might 
divide  itself,  occupying  it  alternately,  or  by  a  wise  expansion  of 
Christian  fellowship,  or  of  a  sentiment  of  unanimity,  resolve  to 
know  no  differences  of  sect,  but  to  use  it  in  common,  to  read  the 
scriptures  in  common,  and  to  allow  every  reader  or  officiating 
member  to  expound,  and  to  express  his  opinions,  without  con- 
troversy. An  upper  spacious  room  might  be  made  to  answer  the 
purpose  of  a  library,  a  reading,  lecture,  and  school  room;  and  be 
used  for  the  evening  amusement  of  the  members.  A  small  tower 
furnished  with  a  clock  with  four  faces  and  a  bell,  would  be  a  desir- 
able addition  to  the  village  Hall,  and  if  the  roof  or  tower  were 
railed  round  it  would  form  a  pleasant  observatory. 

32.  That  no  member  be  admitted  into,  or  retained  in  the 
society  in  the  separate  or  exclusive  character  of  a  minister  of  the 
gospel.    That  this  office  be  free  to  all  the  members,  and  that  it  con- 
fer no  privileges  whatever. 

33.  That  the  growth  of  the  most  useful  kinds  of  roots 
and  vegetables  be  as  much  an  object  with  the  society  as  the  cul- 
tivation of  grain,  by  which  the  time  and  labour  of  the  members 
in  raising  vegetables  in  their  gardens  will  be  materially  lessened, 
and  as  by  this  means  a  more  abundant  supply  of  food  for  the  cat- 
tle and  live  stock  will  be  provided,  particularly  for  winter  use. 


WILLIAM  HEBERT.  359 

That  the  cultivation  of  fruit  trees  be  also  an  object  of  attention 
with  the  society. 

34.  That  the  society's  stock  be  valued,  and  all  accounts 
appertaining  to  the  society  and  to  individuals  be  settled  and 
balanced  once  in  every  year,  and  all  surplus  capital  invested  in  the 
stock  of  the  United  States  Bank  in  the  names  of  all  the  members. 

35.  That    in    order    to    adopt    and    preserve    the    best 
economy  in  the  society,  agricultural,  manufacturing  and  domestic, 
a  friendly  correspondence  be  maintained  with  all  other  similar 
communities  as  far  as  circumstances  will  allow,  and  that  a  deputa- 
tion of  two  members  be  occasionally  made  to  visit  Harmony  or 
any  other  community,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  any  particular 
information  that  the  society  may  require. 

The  author  of  the  foregoing  sketch  would  be  permitted  to  explain  that  he  does  not 
suppose  that  a  society  formed  upon  its  principles  would  constitute  a  perfect  ELYSIUM, 
he  being  fully  aware  that  troubles,  vexation  and  imperfection  rest  upon  every  thing 
human;  but  he  would  express  it  as  his  decided  opinion  that  a  society  of  honorable 
individuals,  of  regular  business  habits,  each  having  the  welfare  of  his  family  and  that 
of  the  society  at  heart,  could  not  fail  of  being  productive  of  immense  security,  comfort 
and  advantage  to  its  members.  The  compact  would  be  simply  an  equitable  partner- 
ship in  all  the  essentials  of  life  and  means  of  happiness.  The  foregoing  is  designed 
merely  as  an  outline  to  be  corrected  and  perfected  by  the  joint  labour  of  the  associates 
and  the  results  of  experience. 


From  Lexers  of  William  Pelham,  written  in  1825  and  1826. 

These  letters  were  written  by  William  Pelham  to  his  son,  William  Creese 
Pelham  of  Zanesville,  Ohio,  in  1825  and  1826.  The  original  letters  are  in 
the  possession  of  the  children  of  the  late  Louis  Pelham  at  New  Harmony, 
Indiana.  The  letters  describe  William  Pelham's  journey  down  the  Ohio, 
stopping  at  Maysville,  Cincinnati,  Louisville  and  Mt.  Vernon,  with  the  ar- 
rival at  New  Harmony,  where  "  a  new  society  was  about  to  be  formed." 
They  tell  of  the  appearance  of  the  town  and  mention  some  of  the  people 
gathering  there,  express  unbounded  enthusiasm  for  Robert  Owen  and  his 
plans  for  improving  the  condition  of  society  and  describes  many  of  the  pleas- 
ures and  hardships  and  daily  life  experienced  during  some  months  of  the  pre- 
liminary Society. 

William  Pelham  was  born  in  Williamsburg,  Virginia,  in  1759,  a  younger 
son  of  Peter  Pelham  and  Ann  Creese  of  Boston,  and  grand-son  of  Peter  Pel- 
ham,  of  the  Pelhams  of  Chichester,  Sussex,  England,  who  was  the  first 
mezzotint  engraver  in  America.  The  family  of  this  elder  Pelham  is  described 
in  the  life  of  John  Singleton  Copley,  the  artist,  whose  mother  married  Mr. 
Pelham,  as  a  household  of  unusual  culture  and  congeniality,  and  the  only  one 
in  New  England  at  that  time  where  painting  and  engraving  were  the  pre- 
dominant pursuits. 

William  Pelham  when  just  grown  to  manhood,  was  for  three  years  a 
surgeon  in  the  American  Revolution,  the  older  brother  whom  he  met  at  Mays- 
ville being  Maj.  Gen.  Charles  Pelham  of  Virginia.  From  his  journals  and 
account  books,  he  seems  to  have  taken  passage  more  than  once  for  England 
and  at  one  time  to  have  spent  several  years  there.  In  a  letter  written  in 
French,  dated  London,  1793,  he  says  that  the  climate  of  London  would 
break  down  the  constitution  of  a  man  of  iron  and  that  he  will  return  to  his 
native  land  as  it  does  not  take  an  iron  constitution  to  live  in  the  climate  of 
Virginia. 

He  evidently  left  England  determined  to  change  his  profession  as  well  as 
climate  for  about  the  year  1800  he  opened  a  book  shop  and  publishing  house 
in  Boston,  selling  out  in  1811  and  removing  to  Newark,  New  Jersey,  and  the 
following  year  to  Philadelphia.  At  this  time  his  young  son,  William  Creese 
Pelham,  was  a  pupil  in  the  Neef  school  at  the  Falls  of  the  Schuylkill  and  from 
this  time  a  close  friendship  with  the  Neef  family  continued  through  their 
lives. 

Having  secured  some  land  in  Ohio  through  the  Virginia  Grant  of  1812, 
William  Pelham  brought  his  family  west  in  1816  and  began  editing  the  Ohio 
Republic  at  Zanesville.  In  1818  he  was  appointed  postmaster  and  these 
pursuits  he  continued  until  he  resigned  to  come  to  New  Harmony  in  1825. 

Mr.  Pelham  was  a  scholarly  man,  a  deep  thinker,  delicate  in  mind  and 
constitution,  and  his  long  life  as  a  servant  of  the  public  had  wearied  him  of 
the  grasping  ways  of  the  world  and  Robert  Owen's  communistic  plans 
seemed  to  him  a  Utopia  of  peace  for  his  declining  years.  So  after  much 
reading  and  some  correspondence1  relative  to  the  matter,  he  came  to  New 


1.     A  letter  from  William  Owen,  son  of  Robert  Owen,  will  be  found  following  the 
Pelham  letters. 

(360) 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  361 

Harmony  as  described  in  these  letters.  From  the  letters  we  learn  he  found 
occupation  at  once  in  the  accounting  department  of  the  store  and  when  the 
Gazette  was  published  he  became  one  of  the  first  editors.  His  son  joined 
him  in  the  spring  of  1826  and  the  following  year  William  Pelham  purchased 
a  farm  near  Mt.  Vernon  and  died  very  suddenly  at  his  home  there  on  Feb- 
ruary third,  1827.  He  passed  away  just  two  months  before  the  final  dissolu- 
tion of  the  society  which  had  filled  his  last  years  with  a  great  enthusiasm 
and  interest. 

CAROLINE  CREESE  PELHAM. 


Opposite  Buffington's  Island, 

Ohio  River,  Monday, 
1st  Aug.,  1825, 

3  o'clock,  P.  M. 
My  Dear  Son : — 

I  have  concluded  to  commence  a  letter  at  this  place  which, 
you  will  probably  receive  from  Cincinnatti.  It  would  give  you 
pleasure  to  see  how  commodiously  I  am  situated  on  board  this 
boat.  She  is  70  or  75  feet  long  abt.  9  feet  wide,  very  deeply  laden 
with  flour  and  destined  to  Florence  in  Alabama — navigated  by 
six  men  beside  the  Capt.,  Absalom  Boyd,  who  is  a  mild,  quiet 
character, —  in  fact  I  have  experienced  nothing  but  civility  and 
kindness  from  all  on  board.  The  following  rude  sketch  will  give 
you  some  idea  of  my  local  position  in  the  vessel,  premising  that 
at  Point  Harmar  I  had  a  box  or  bunk  made  6f.  by  4|  to  contain 
the  whole  of  my  bed  &  bedding [Sketch  omitted.] 

The  right  side  is  boarded  up,  &  the  whole  covered  with  a  sub- 
stantial roof  except  the  bow  &  stern.  On  the  roof  stands  the 
caboose  &  the  rowers  here  exercise  themselves  with  2  and  some- 
times 4  sweeps  which  they  ply  pretty  constantly.  At  the  foot  of 
my  bunk  is  an  opening  in  the  side  of  the  vessel  about  4  by  5  feet, 
closed  at  night  by  2  folding  shutters. 

I  am  now  sitting  on  the  foot  of  my  bed,  my  feet  resting  on  a 
footboard  placed  for  my  convenience  by  one  of  my  ship-mates. 
As  my  bunk  is  placed  on  2  tier  of  barrels  there  is  abundant  space 
between  my  head  &  the  roof  of  the  boat.  Capt.  Boyd  and  myself 
lodge  together,  my  bed  being  sufficiently  large  for  both. 

In  the  article  of  diet  I  do  not  fare  so  well,  as  I  cannot  relish  the 
provision  cooked  for  the  crew;  &  have  therefore  lived  almost 
entirely  on  tea  &  coffee  &  cheese.  Give  my  kind  compliments  to 
Mrs.  Mills  and  tell  her  that  her  friendly  piece  of  cake  formed 
almost  the  whole  of  my  support  from  Zanesville  to  Marietta. 

I  wrote  you  a  few  lines  from  Marietta,  which  you  will  not 


362  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

receive  till  Saturday  next,  (Aug.  6).  On  carrying  it  to  the  P.  O. 
I  met  with  Arius  Nye,  who  informed  me  that  Mr.  Morris  (whom 
I  have  not  seen) — is  no  longer  P.  M.  The  fact  is,  he  has  been 
Hamproned  out  of  the  office  by  Squire  Buell  who  contrived  to 
convince  the  P.  M.  G.  [Postmaster  General]  that  he  was  a  fitter 
person  to  succeeed  Willcox  than  Morris. — This  is  the  individual 
system  in  perfection. 

This  (Buffington's) — Island  is  always  a  troublesome  place  when 
the  water  is  low.  At  some  future  time  I  will  give  you  a  minute 
account  of  the  hardship,  the  labor  &  fatigue — &  the  immense, 
extravagant  waste  of  human  strength  in  navigating  this  river, 
&c  &c.  We  have  a  strong  active  crew,  and  they  make  abundant 
use  of  the  terms,  God — Jesus  Christ — Hell-fire  &  Damnation  &c 
&c.  &c.,  but  in  a  manner  somewhat  different  from  the  reverend 
clergy  and  certainly  not  with  so  much  worldy  profit.  The  most 
embarrassing  place  will  be  Letart's  falls.  If  anything  extraor- 
dinary occurs  there  I  will  note  it,  I  am  greatly  at  a  loss  for  my 
Ohio  Pilot  which  unfortunately  I  left  behind,  and  there  is  nothing 
of  the  sort  on  board  this  vessel.  I  have  only  Melish's  small  map 
of  Ohio  &  Indiana. 

I  feel  greatly  indebted  to  Joel  Frazey  for  his  kindness;  he  left 
me  at  N.  Ayers  Salt  works — after  a  delightful  ride.  Remember 
me  kindly  to  him. 

Saturday  Aug.  5,  11  o'clock  A.  M.  We  have  just  passed 
Portsmouth  &  Alexandria  at  the  mouth  of  the  Scioto —  the  former 
a  neat,  and  even  handsome  little  town —  the  latter  consisting  of 
4  or  5  log-houses.  We  are  still  abt.  50  miles  fr.  Maysville,  which 
we  shall  probably  not  reach  till  Monday,  for  we  do  not  move 
faster  than  about  28  or  30  miles  a  day,  &  lie  by  every  night.  I  am 
told,  however,  that  we  shall  now  get  forward  much  faster  than  we 
have  done  while  embarrassed  with  frequent  bars,  shoals  &  ripples. 
The  Capt.  &  others  on  board  calculate  that  we  shall  arrive  at  Mt. 
Vernon  about  the  17th  or  18th  of  this  month.  By  that  time,  I 
foresee,  that  I  shall  require  5  or  6  days  rest  on  land,  in  some  quiet 
lodging  house  during  which  I  can  refit,  &  get  my  clothes  and  blank- 
ets washed.  I  shall  write  to  you  immediately  on  reaching  Mt. 
Vernon.  In  the  meantime  give  my  most  affectionate  love  to 
Mary  and  tell  her  that  her  ample  provision  of  tea,  coffee,  and 
sugar,  will  probably  last  me  to  the  point  of  my  destination. — 
Present  me  also  my  most  kindly  &  affectionately  to  Mr.  Peters. 
I  have  seen  no  newspaper  from  any  place  since  I  left  Z.  [Zanesville] 
and  you  would  be  surprised  if  you  could  really  estimate  the 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  363 

indifference  I  feel  about  general  or  local  politics  and  the  conten- 
tions of  opposite  parties.  I  feel  once  more  free  from  all  this  tur- 
moil &  shall  never  engage  in  it  again,  whether  I  return  or  not. 
Present  my  kind  respects  to  Mr.  John  Peters  and  Michael — to 
Mr.  Sheward  &  wife  &  in  general  to  all  friends  who  may  think  me 
worthy  of  their  enquiries. 

After  leaving  Maysville  I  shall  make  some  additions  to  this 
letter  and  then  put  into  the  P.  O.  at  Cincinnati. — Our  old  friend 
Jim  Marshall  (who  is  one  of  the  hired  hands)  has  just  brought  me 
half  of  a  fine,  tho  small  water-melon.  I  have  received  much 
kindness  from  him. 

The  steam  boat  Lawrence,  worked  by  4  horses  without  steam, 
(moving  in  a  circle  on  her  deck)  has  just  passed  us  on  her  way  up 
the  river. 

Direct  the  Ohio  Repub.  to  W.  Pelham,  New  Harmony,  Ind. — 
on  the  paper  itself — put  it  in  a  wrapper  in  the  usual  manner  & 
direct  the  cover  to  Postmaster  New  Harmony,  Ind.  Do  not 
forget  to  remember  me  kindly  to  Messrs.  Keightley  &  Harris  & 
Joel  Frezey — &  Mr.  Mills  &c.  &c. 

Monday  8th  Aug.  Yesterday  afternoon,  I  had  the  inexpress- 
able  happiness  of  an  affecting  and  joyful  meeting  with  my  brother 
and  sister,  after  a  separation  of  39  years  and  1  month.  At  first 
sight,  he  did  not  know  me,  but  immediately  recollected  me  on  a 
nearer  approach  and  for  my  part,  I  think  I  should  have  recog- 
nized him  if  I  had  met  him  in  Zanesville — tho'  we  are  both  much 
altered  by  time.  He  has  an  interesting  family — his  4  daughters 
and  2  sons  were  introduced  to  me.  Chas.  &  Wm.  are  gone  to 
Arkansas.  Peter  &  Atkinson  also  absent — ,  the  former  at  his 
station  in  Florida — the  latter  in  Philad.  My  stay  was  neces- 
sarily short — &  in  the  evening  we  passed  by  Maysville — •  but 
the  evening  was  too  far  advanced  for  me  to  gain  a  distinct  view 
of  it.  We  are  now,  11.30  A.  M.  22  miles  distant  from  Maysville. 
My  brother's  daus.  accompanied  me  to  the  boat  which  lay  \  mile 
from  the  house.  _  During  this  walk,  the  two  eldest  enquired  par- 
ticularly about  you  &  Mary  &  expressed  an  earnest  desire  to 
see  you  both — not  unmixed  with  the  hope  that  you  at  least  wd. 
make  a  run  in  the  stage  one  of  these  days  as  far  as  Maysville. 

The  weather  has  been  remarkably  cool  and  pleasant  on  the 
river,  since  I  left  Zanesville — I  have  not  been  at  all  incommoded 
by  heat — I  make  it  a  rule  not  to  go  on  deck  in  the  morning  till 
the  sun  has  dissipated  the  fog,  when  there  is  any — and  always  to 
retire  to  my  birth  soon  after  sunset. 


364  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

We  expect  to  arrive  at  Cincinn  tonight  or  tomorrow  morning. 
I  shall  therefore,  here  close  my  letter  and  seal  it. 
Yr  truly  affectionate  Father, 

Wm.  Pelham. 

On  bd  Post  Boy,  Ohio  River. 
Wednesd,  noon,  Aug.  10,  1825. 
32  miles  below  Cincinn. 
My  dear  Son — 

We  reached  Cincinnati  yesterday  abt.  10  A.M.  &  left  it  about 
6  in  the  evg.  It  has  been  so  often  and  so  well  described,  that  it 
is  needless  for  me  to  make  any  remarks  on  it.  In  fact  I  saw  but 
little  of  the  city  my  attention  being  almost  wholly  directed  to 
other  objects.  What  I  did  see,  however,  greatly  surpassed  my 
expectations.  In  approaching  the  city  we  counted  10  new  steam 
boats  on  the  stocks — besides  some  under  repair.  Boats  contin- 
ually passing  up  and  down.  It  is  really  a  handsome  and  even 
elegant  town,  containing  an  immense  amt.  of  property. 

As  soon  as  we  got  to  the  shore  I  landed,  and  walking  up  the 
Main  street  I  unexpectedly  met  our  old  friend  Mr.  John  Scott, 
who  resides  there  with  his  family.  After  the  usual  salutations, 
I  enquired  for,  and  he  directed  me  to  a  first  rate  barber,  who  shaved 
me  admirably,  and  cut  off  my  pigtail! — the  inconvenience  of  which 
I  could  no  longer  endure.  While  these  operations  were  perform- 
ing, Mr.  Scott  called  in,  accompanied  by  Jas.  Taylor,  Jr.  of  Zanes- 
ville  who  intended  proceedg. — homewards  this  morning,  and  will, 
doubtless,  call  on  you.  I  feel  much  indebted  to  his  attentive 
kindness  during  my  short  stay  in  Cincinn.  We  went  together  to 
the  office  of  the  Literary  Gaz.  [Gazette]  and  afterwards  to  the 
P.  O.  where  I  saw  Mr.  Burke  and  Mr.  Langdon,  his  asst.  and  de- 
posited a  letter  which  you  will  probably  receive  next  Saty  evg. 
Mr.  Langdon  accompanied  me  and  introduced  me  to  Mr.  Wm. 
Bosson,  a  mercht.  of  Cincinn.  who  has  lately  returned  from 
Harmony,  where  he  has  a  brother — a  member  of  the  Community, 
to  whom  he  gave  me  an  introductory  letter,  and  likewise  to  2 
merchts.  in  Louisville.  Mr.  B.  also  kindly  introduced  me  to  Messrs. 
Clark  &  Greene,  agents  for  the  Community.  They  offered  me, 
&  I  accepted  an  introductory  letter  to  Wm.  Owen  &  likewise  one 
to  the  Agents  in  Louisville.  I  spent  several  hours  very  agreeably 
in  Mr.  Bosson's  store  in  conversation  with  him.  He  is  a  young 
man,  very  intelligent — apparently  of  an  amiable  disposition — 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  365 

and  devoted  to  the  System.  I  learnt  that  Wm.  Owen  in  the  only 
member  of  his  family  now  at  Harmony— that  his  age  is  about  25, 
that  the  elder  Mr.  O.  previous  to  his  departure  for  Europe,  called 
a  meeting  of  all  the  members,  in  which  mutual  confidence  was 
most  strongly  expressed.  Mr.  Owen  dissolved  the  Committee 
appointed  by  himself,  and  requested  the  society  to  choose  whom- 
soever they  pleased — for  some  time  this  was  declined,  as  all 
declared  themselves  well  satisfied  with  his  choice — but  on  being 
urged  to  it — they  proceeded  to  the  election;  and  the  first  person 
chosen  was  Wm.  Owen.  The  greater  part,  if  not  all  the  other 
members  were  re-chosen.  This  is  a  pleasing  mark  of  mutual 
confidence — another  is,  that  Mr.  Owren  made  an  offer  to  the  society 
of  the  whole  establishment,  land,  buildings  &c,  at  their  price  own 
and  on  their  own  terms,  so  well  satisfied  was  he  of  their  disposi- 
tion and  ability  to  carry  the  System  into  full  &  complete  operation. 
W'hether  this  offer  was  or  was  not  accepted  I  did  not  learn,  or 
have  forgotten.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  things  are  going 
on  well — the  society  has  nearly  overcome  all  the  difficulties  in- 
cident to  such  a  heterogeneous  congregation  of  strangers  to  each 
other.  To  my  enquiry  whether  any  new  members  cd.  obtain 
admission,  Mr.  Bosson  replied,  that  he  thought  no  new  families 
could  as  yet — but  in  2  years,  the  contemplated  new  village  will 
be  ready  for  the  reception  of  members,  as  they  are  rapidly  pre- 
paring materials.  By  the  last  accounts,  the  number  of  inhabi- 
tants amounted  to  1050  or  1100.  370  children  are  daily  taught 
in  the  schools — So  far  you  will  perceive  I  have  heard  nothing  that 
has  the  least  tendency  to  diminish  my  confidence  in  the  System, 
either  in  principle  or  practice.  On  my  arrival  at  Louisville,  I 
shall  close  this  letter,  and  put  it  into  the  Post  Office  there.  At 
present  I  will  only  add  that  here  I  am  again  seated  upright  on  the 
foot  of  my  bed,  my  feet  as  before,  resting  conveniently  on 
my  foot  board.  I  have  cut  the  leather  hinges  of  my  provision 
box  and  the  lid  placed  on  my  knees  and  covered  with  a  towel  forms 
a  very  convenient  table  for  my  meals — &  writing.  On  the  bed 
behind  me  are  scattered  my  books  and  papers  &c.,  &c.,  all  very 
handy. — I  write  at  my  ease — without  hurry  or  interuption — but 
after  all — I  would  rather  be  seated  in  a  comfortable  house  on 
shore,  provided  I  hear  not  the  tiresome  question,  "Is  there  any 
letter  here  for ".  .  . 

Louisville,  Sat.  13,  Aug.  12  o'clock-noon. 
We  have  just  arrived  here.     The  Capt.  Finds  it  necessary  to 


366  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

unload  almost  entirely  as  he  cannot  pass  the  falls  with  more  than 
16  barrels  of  Flour — besides  the  winds  ahead — I  guess  we  shall 
not  leave  this  place  till  noon  tomorrow. 

Unless  something  extraordinary  occurs  you  will  not  hear  from 
me  again  till  I  get  to  Mt.  Vernon. 

Ohio  River  100  miles  below  Louisville. 
Wed.  17  Aug.  1825.- 
My  dear  William, 

We  reached  Louisville  last  Saturday  about  noon,  where  I  put 
a  letter  into  the  P.  O.  which  you  will  probably  receive  next 
Tuesday  evening.  The  Capt.  immediately  commenced  unload- 
ing, and  the  boat  passed  the  falls  about  sunset  to  Shippingport. 
In  the  meantime,'  I  remained  at  Louisville  &  called  on  Messrs. 
I.  &  W.  Stewart,  agents  for  the  Harmony  Community,  to  whom 
I  had  a  letter  from  Cincinnati.  They  have  on  hand  a  complete 
printing  apparatus,  (weighing  about  2  tons)  waiting  an  oppy.  of 
forwarding  it  to  Harmony.  Here  I  regretted  that  our  boat  was 
so  deeply  laden  that  we  could  not  take  in  on  board.  Here  I  also 
met  with  Mr.  Larkin,  a  member  of  the  Community,  on  his  way 
down,  with  his  famy — but  excessively  embarrassed  how  to  con- 
trive a  conveyance.  His  report  of  affairs  at  Harmy  [Harmony] 
which  he  left  four  weeks  ago  (to  meet  his  famy — )  corresponds 
exactly  with  all  our  previous  information.  I  called  at  Dr.  Gait's 
but  had  not  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  him — his  son  (your  former 
schoolfellow  at  Neef's)  enquired  particularly  abt  you.  Next 
morning  about  Sunrise  I  set  out  to  walk  2  miles  to  Shippingport 
&  if  the  weather  had  been  a  little  cooler  shd  have  performed  it 
with  ease.  Here  I  found  them  reloading  the  boat.  Then  I 
breakfasted  &  returned  to  Louisville  to  get  some  clothes  I  had 
left  to  be  washed.  When  I  returned  to  Shipt.  the  boat  was  re- 
loaded, but  everything  so  transposed,  that  I  am  not  so  conveniently 
located  as  before.  However  it  matters  little,  for  we  shall  be  at 
Mt.  Vernon  next  Saturday  or  Sunday.  At  Louisville  I  reed  the 
O.  R.  [Ohio  Republic]  Aug.  6,  the  first  I  have  seen  since  leaving 
Zanesville.  The  river  is  uncommonly  low — we  have  had  no  rain 
but  once — and  that  was  of  little  or  no  service.  We  have  left 
behind  us  everything  we  came  in  sight  of — steamboats  excepted. 

I  am  writing  this  letter  on  board  the  boat  intending,  if  possible, 
to  put  it  into  the  P.  O.  at  Troy,  where  we  shall  probably  arrive 
tomorrow  forenoon. 

We  started  from  Shippingport  on  Sunday  afternoon    abt   4 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  367 

o'clock,  and  odd  as  it  may  appear  to  you,  I  was  really  glad  to  be 
on  board  again.  I  suffered  excessively  by  the  heat  of  the  weather 
at  Louisville  and  Shippingport,  but  here,  I  am  comparatively 
comfortable — the  greatest  annoyance  I  now  endure  is  from  muske- 
toes  which  have  begun  to  be  troublesome  since  we  left  Shippgpt. 
We  no  longer  see  any  steamboats,  though  they  were  frequently 
passing  and  repassing  us  between  Cincinn  and  Louisville. 

The  Capt.  intends  to  write  to  Win.  Thompson  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Cumberland  river.-  In  the  meantime  he  requests  you  to 
say  to  him  that  he  has  ascertained  the  price  of  flour  at  Florence 
by  a  gentlemen  who  lately  came  from  there,  and  who  seemed 
desirous  of  buying  him  out  at  $5  per  barrel  which  he  declined. 
While  at  Louisville  Mr.  Boyd  enquired  of  Wilson  and  Chambers, 
and  likewise  Buchanan,  but  they  had  no  later  accounts  than 
about  4  weeks  ago  when  flour  was  6.50  to  7.00 — their  paper 
being  at  10  per  cent  discount.  He  desires  that  you  will  apologise 
to  W.  T.  for  his  not  writing  from  Cincinn  and  Louisville,  as  he 
had  not  time,  being  very  anxious  to  get  forward.  At  Cincinn.  he 
found  a  boat  loaded  with  flour  for  Florence,  which  is  left  far  be- 
hind. 

From  Mt.  Vernon  you  may  expect  another  letter  from 
Your  truly  affectionate  Father, 

Wm.  Pelham. 

Mt.  Vernon,  Indiana. 
Mond.  22nd  Aug.  1825. 
11  o'clock  A.M. 

This  letter,  my  dear  son,  will  apprise  you  of  my  arrival  at 
this  place,  where  I  shall  remain  2  or  3  days  to  recruit  and  refit, 
and  then  take  a  walk  to  New  Harmony  in  co.  [company]  with  a 
young  man  who  resides  there,  and  who  will  then  return  there. 

The  Post  Boy  landed  me  yesterday  about  10  o'clock  and  I 
am  lodging  with  Mr.  Welburn,  the  Postmaster  who  is  likewise 
agent  for  the  new  community.  I  have  gained  but  little  addition 
to  me  stock  of  information  on  the  interesting  subject.  The  young 
man  alluded  to  is  a  carpenter  &  joiner — has  been  3  months  in 
Harmony — and  is  very  well  pleased  with  it. 

The  weather  has,  for  the  last  3  days  been  cloudy  &  cold  and 
now  threatens  rain.  I  find  that  the  E.  [Eastern]  mail  arrives 
here  every  Monday,  about  noon,  &  immediately  returns,  crossing 
the  river  from,  and  recrossing  to  Kentucky  &  proceeding  on  that 


368  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

side  to  Louisville  &  Maysville.  On  Friday  a  mail  is  reed,  from 
Vincennes  &  returns  the  same  day  through  Harmony.  You  will 
hence  perceive  the  most  direct  communication  with  this  place 
and  Harmony.  *  *  * 

After  remaining  here  about  an  hour  yesterday,  Capt.  Boyd 
proceeded  on  his  voyage.  He  charged  me  $7 — for  my  passage 
from  Z.  saying  that  this  was  $3  less  that  he  would  have  charged 
if  the  agreement  had  been  made  at  L.  I  find  after  all  expenses 
paid  to  this  place,  I  am  just  18  dollars  minus  than  when  I  started— 
and  upon  the  whole,  I  am  very  well  satisfied. 

Remember  me  kindly  to  all  friends.  My  next  letter  will  be 
from  N.  Harmony.  Your  affectionate  Father, 

Wm.  Pelham. 

[P.  S.]  By  the  bye,  I  have  just  learned  from  Mr.  Wilburn  that  a 
printing  press  is  actually  in  operation  at  Harmony  though  they 
have  not  yet  commenced  the  publication  of  a  newspaper. 

New  Harmony,  Ind. 
Th.  25  Aug.,  1825. 
My  Dear  William, 

I  can  only  write  you  a  few  lines  to  say  that  I  arrived  here  yester- 
day afternoon  in  company  with  a  member  of  the  community 
whose  interesting  information  and  conversation  tended  greatly 
to  diminish  the  tediousness  and  fatigue  of  the  walk.  In  a  few 
days  I  shall  write  you  again  &  at  large. 

Remember  me  kindly  to  all  enquiring  friends, 

Yr  affectn.  father, 

Wm.  Pelham. 

New  Harmony,  Inda.  Sept  7,  1825. 
My  dear  Son, 

I  feel  exceedingly  desirous  of  writing  to  you,  because  I  know 
a  letter  from  me  will  be  agreeable  to  you; — and  yet  I  am  loth  to 
begin.  Such  a  multitude  of  ideas  crowd  upon  me,  that  I  am 
doubtful  whether  I  shall  be  able  to  select  such  as  will  be  most 
interesting  to  you. 

I  wrote  you  from  Marietta — from'Cinciiin. — from  Louisville — 
from  Mt.  Vernon —  and  lastly  on  my  arrival  here.  At  Mt. 
V.  [Vernon]^!^ settled  with  Absalom  Boyd,  the  Capt.  of  the  boat, 
and  paid  him  $7  for  my  passage,  baggage  included,  somewhat  less 
than  one  cent  per  mile,  which  he  assured  me  was,  the  usual  rate. 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  369 

After  paying  for  the  transportation  of  my  baggage  from  Mt. 
Vernon  hither  $2 — I  found  the  $25  I  had  appropriated  to  the  ex- 
penses of  my  journey  almost  exhausted.  But  here  I  am,  without 
having  experiences  any  disaster  or  serious  inconvenience;  having 
enjoyed  uninterrupted  health  till  a  few  evenings  ago  when  I  took 
cold  by  incautiously  exposing  myself  to  the  night  air.  I  am  now 
again  as  well  as  before. 

At  Mt.  Vernon  I  was  introduced  to  Mr.  Schnee,  a  member  of 
the  Committee,  and  Postmaster  here,  on  his  return  from  Shawnee- 
town  on  business  of  the  Society.  We  soon  became  acquainted, 
and  it  appears  that  we  were  mutually  pleased  with  each  other. 
His  countenance  and  manner  indicated  good  sense,  good  nature, 
and  firmness  of  character,  and  on  further  acquaintance  I  find 
these  indications  were  not  fallacious.  He  is  an  intelligent,  active, 
viligant,  and  efficient  member  of  the  Committee.  He  left  Mt. 
Vernon  the  day  before  I  did  and  met  me  at  the  Tavern  in  Harmony 
on  my  arrival.  After  I  had  taken  some  refreshment,  he  con- 
ducted me  to  the  Committee  room,  and  introduced  me  to  Mr. 
Wm.  Owen,  Mr.  Secretary  Lewis,  Mr.  T.  M.  Bosson,  Mr.  Jennings 
and  Dr.  McXamee,  all  members  of  the  Commee,  by  whom  I  was 
severally  greeted  with  kindness  unalloyed  by  affectation  or  osten- 
tation. I  soon  discovered  that  forms  and  ceremonies  have  no 
place  here,  and  the  intercourse  being  plain,  easy  and  free,  is 
exactly  suited  to  my  taste.  Plainness  of  manners  and  plainness 
of  dress  are  characteristic  of  this  society. 

I  lodged  two  nights  at  the  Tavern,  and  then  removed  to  the 
room  I  now  occupy  and  in  which  I  am  now  writing.  It  was  offered 
to  me  by  Mr.  Bosson,  being  an  unfinished  one  immediately  above 
his  own,  which  is  scarcely  any  better,  but  they  will  do  for  the 
present,  and  as  the  cold  weather  advances  we  shall  have  to  shift 
our  quarters  or  be  frozen  to  death.  These  rooms  are  in  the  house 
where  the  meetings  of  the  Committee  are  held,  and  the  only  dif- 
ference is,  that  the  Comee  rooms  are  lathed  and  plastered.  Within 
two-hundred  yards  of  us  stands  the  Old  Harmony  church,  a 
large  frame  building  painted  white  with  a  steeple  containing  a 
clock  which  strikes  the  hours  and  quarters.  By  this  clock  are 
regulated  the  occupations  and  amusements  of  the  inhabitants. 
At  five  every  morning  the  bell  is  rung  for  the  commencement  of 
the  daily  business,  at  seven  it  is  again  rung  to  signify  that  break- 
fast will  be  ready  in  all  the  boarding  houses  and  the  Tavern  in 
a  qr.  [quarter]  of  an  hour.  At  12  it  is  rung  again  &  dinner  is  ready 
everywhere  in  fifteen  minutes,  the  same  at  six  for  supper.  Every 

T — 24 


370  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Tuesday  evening  such  as  chuse  to  dance  assemble  in  the  Hall 
(which  is  a  large  brick  building  near  and  almost  adjoining  the 
church)  where  they  find  an  excellent  band  of  music,  and  amuse 
themselves  till  nine  o'clock.  The  utmost  order,  regularity  and 
good  humor  exist  here  and  I  have  witnessed  these  periodical 
dancing  assemblies  with  approbation  and  pleasure,  the  music 
being  excellent. 

On  Wedy,  evg.  such  of  the  society  as  choose  to  attend  in  the 
church  are  made  acquainted  with  the  transactions  of  the  Comee 
• — during  the  preceding  week,  and  everyone  gives  his  opinion 
freely  respecting  the  best  course  to  be  pursued.  On  Thursday 
evg.  there  is  a  regular  concert,  on  Friday  something1  else  which 
I  do  not  recollect  and  Saturday  evening  is  not  appropriated  to 
any  particular  object.  On  Sunday  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jennings  com- 
monly delivers  a  lecture  in  the  forenoon  (without  any  formal  text) 
in  which  he  explains  the  manner  of  receiving  religious  impres- 
sions. I  have  not  yet  heard  one  of  these  Sunday  lectures,  but 
from  several  conversations  I  have  had  with  him,  I  can  plainly 
see  that  he  will  never  try  to  stupify  the  understanding  of  his  hearers 
with  unintelligable  dogmas,  and  incomprehensible  jargon.  What 
he  says  is  plain,  and  easy  to  be  understood.  On  the  Thursday, 
that  is,  the  next  day  following  my  arrival,  a  Baptist  preacher 
came  into  the  town  and  announced  his  intention  of  delivering  a 
discourse  in  the  evening  in  the  Church.  Accordingly,  a  large 
congregation  assembled,  and  listened  to  him  with  great  attention. 
He  is  certainly  one  of  their  first  rate  preachers,  and  he  managed  his 
matters  with  much  address.  The  next  evening — (Friday)  Mr. 
Jennings  delivered  a  lecture  in  the  same  place,  and  ably  demon- 
strated the  sandy  foundation  of  the  ingenious  gentleman's  argu- 
ments, without  any  pointed  allusion  to  him  or  his  arguments. 
At  the  close  of  the  lecture  my  gentleman  thought  proper  to  make 
a  rejoinder,  tho  nothing  had  been  said  of  him  or  his  doctrines,  but 
he  did  not  seem  to  be  in  so  good  a  humor  as  he  was  the  evening 
before — although  he  had  previously  preformed  the  marriage 
ceremony  for  a  young  couple — especially  when  this  young  couple 
retired  with  their  friends  into  the  Hall  to^enjoy  the  pleasures  of 
music  and  dancing  instead  of  listening  to  his  rejoinder. 

I  have  now  been  here  2  Sundays.  On  the  first  (Mr.  Jennings 
being  absent  on  business)  Mr.  Win.  Owen  read  to  the  congregation 
some  extracts  from  his  fathers  publications — and  last  Sunday, 
Mr.  Jennings  being  indisposed,  another  member  read  several 
extracts  from  other  portions  of  Mr.  Owen's  works.  In  both 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  371 

instances  these  extracts  were  accompanied  with  appropriate  re- 
marks of  the  reader  explaining  and  connecting  the  passages. 
Last  Sunday  afternoon  we  were  regaled  with  a  truly  Christian 
harangue  from  a  rambling  shaking  quaker  who  happened  to  be 
here. 

You  would  be  surprised  to  see  how  punctually  I  attend  these 
Sunday  meetings  in  the  Church,  and  how  frequently  I  am  peram- 
bulating the  streets,  and  falling  in  and  conversing  familiarly  with 
successive  groups  before  the  door  of  the  Tavern  particularly  in  the 
evening  when  these  groups  commonly  assemble — not  to  drink  and 
carouse,  but  for  the  purpose  of  rational  conversation,  here  are  no 
brawling  braggarts,  no  idle  jesters  delighting  to  wound  the  feelings 
of  each  other- — no  intemperate  buffoons  eager  to  make  sport  of  one 
another,  for  no  member  of  the  community  can  obtain  any  ardent 
spirit  either  at  the  Tavern  or  the  store,  without  a  certificate  from 
the  Doctor  that  it  is  needed  as  a  medicine — a  regulation  that 
would  be  very  useful  in  Zanesville  as  well  as  here.  I  have  mixed 
much  with  all  descriptions  of  persons,  and  I  declare  I  have  not 
heard  an  offensive  word  spoken  by  a  single  individual.  Good  hum- 
ored jokes  are  undoubtedly  frequent  but  the  general  tenor  of  the 
conversation  is  of  a  serious  philosophical  cast.  Those  who  are 
incapable  of  this  appear  still  to  take  an  interest  in  discussions  of 
this  kind,  or  separate  into  groups  to  talk  over  the  occurrances  of 
the  day,  occasionally  introducing  some  jocular  remark,  tending  to 
excite  mirth  without  wounding  the  sensibility  of  any. 

As  to  dollars  &  cents,  they  are  words  seldom  heard  any  where 
but  in  the  public  store,  which  is  like  all  other  trading  shops, 
differing  however  in  this,  that  every  head  of  a  family,  or  single 
unmarried  member  unconnected  with  a  family,  instead  of  carry- 
ing money  to  the  store,  is  furnished  a  Pass-book  in  which  he  is 
charged  with  what  he  buys,  and  is  credited  every  week  with  the 
amount  of  his  earnings.  These  pass-books  exhibit  a  curious 
medley  of  items,  bacon,  chickens,  eggs,  melons,  cucumbers, 
butter,  tea,  sugar,  coffee  &c  &c  with  all  the  varieties  of  store 
goods  on  the  debit  side,  while  on  the  other  are  placed  the  credits 
of  the  individuals.  I  have  been  several  days  employed  in  over- 
hauling and  balancing  these  pass-books  (the  clerk  whose  particular 
duty  it  is,  being  sick)  and  this  has  given  me  the  opportunity  of 
making  these  observations,  which  indeed  anyone  may  do  who  will 
take  the  trouble  of  looking  over  them,  for  they  are  open  to  the 
inspection  of  all  who  choose  to  examine  them.  There  are  about 
300  of  these  pass-books  continually  in  motion. 


372  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

* 

At  the  particular  request  of  Mr.  Keightly  and  Mr.  Harris, 
I  have  obtained  the  insertion  of  their  names  in  the  register  of 
applicants  for  admission  into  the  Society,  and  if  they  were  now 
here,  I  have  no  doubt  they  would  both  find  immediate  employ- 
ment, the  former  in  the  Turners'  &  machine  makers  shop  apper- 
taining to  the  Steam  mill,  the  latter  in  the  Pub.  [public]  store; 
But  they  would  certainly  be  puzzled  to  find  comfortable  lodgings 
especially  if  they  did  not  come  prepared  with  a  sufficiency  of 
bedding  and  utensils  for  housekeeping.  If  any  other  of  our  friends 
wish  me  to  have  their  names  also  inscribed  in  the  Register,  I  will 
make  application  for  them,  on  their  request  being  made  known 
to  me — the  notification  must  contain  the  name  and  age  of  the 
applicant,  the  age  of  his  wife,  if  a  married  man — the  number,  ages 
and  sexes  of  his  children — the  place  of  his  birth,  and  his  present 
residence — his  trade  or  occupation — and  his  motive  for  wishing 
to  join  the  society. 

The  manner  in  which  I  became  employed  in  the  Pub.  [public] 
store  was  this.  As  no  one  in  this  community  is  urged  or  pressed 
to  perform  any  work  that  he  pointedly  dislikes,  it  was  delicately 
intimated  to  me  by  the  Accountant  at  the  store  that  the  young 
man  whose  duty  it  was  to  attend  to  the  pass-book  department 
being  sick  his  business  was  running  behind  and  my  services  wd 
be  acceptable  as  long  as  I  liked  to  continue  them.  Notwithstand- 
ing my  aversion  to  commercial  matters  I  readily  assented  and 
entered  the  Counting  room,  where  I  at  once  found  myself  at  home, 
though  among  strangers — such  is  the  frankness  of  manners  pre- 
vailing here.  I  would,  however,  rather  be  somehow  or  other 
connected  with  the  printing  establishment,  and  I  think  I  shall 
accomplish  this  as  soon  as  the  publication  of  the  paper  is  com- 
menced. I  have  frequently  conversed  with  Mr.  Palmer  the 
superintendent  of  the  pr.  [printing]  •  office  who  has  already  in 
some  instances  accepted  my  services  as  corrector  of  several  proof 
sheets  of  a  pamphlet  he  is  printing.  I  have  been  urging  on  the 
Comee.  to  commence  the  publication  and  I  think  it  will  commence 
next  week,  probably  on  Saturday  the  7th  inst.  I  shall  not  fail 
to  forward  it  to  you  for  exchange.  You  will  of  course  send  yours 
&  if  the  Reformer  is  not  printed  in  Philad.  let  me  know  where  it 
is  printed. 

Mr.  Schnee  informed  me  yesterday  that  the  mail  route  from 
hence  is  to  Princeton — from  thence  to  Evansville,  and  so  along 
on  the  Indiana  side  of  the  river  to  New  Albany  where  it  crosses 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  373 

over  to  Louisville,  thence  to  Cincinn.  or  Maysville,  he  is  not  sure 
which,  but  most  probably  to  Cincinn. 

And  now,  my  dear  Wm.  I  hope  you  will  give  me  a  letter  at 
least  once  each  week,  letting  me  know  how  you  all  go  on  &  espe- 
cially if  you  meet  with  any  Post  Office  difficulties.  Never  mind 
John  Dillon  or  his  ill-humor  abt  the  newspapers,  but  make  him 
pay  his  postage.  One  thing  I  particularly  recommend  &  that  is 
to  exact  punctual  payment  from  all  for  fear  of  the  worst.  *  *  * 

Yr  aff .  father, 

Wm.  Pelham. 

N.  Harmony,  Sept.  8,  1825. 
My  dear  Wm.     *    *     * 

You  will  perceive  by  my  letters  to  the  P.  M.  G.  and  to 
Dr.  Bradley  that  I  have  become  a  Harmonite  and  mean  to  spend 
the  remainder  of  my  days  in  this  abode  of  peace  and  quietness. 
I  have  experienced  no  disappointment.  I  did  not  expect  to  find 
every  thing  regular,  systematic,  convenient — nor  have  I  found 
them  so.  I  did  expect  to  find  myself  relieves  from  a  most 
disagreeable  state  of  life,  and  be  able  to  mix  with  my  fellow  citi- 
zens without  fear  or  imposition — without  being  subject  to  ill 
humor  and  unjust  censures  and  suspicions — and  this  expectation 
has  been  realized — I  am  at  length  free — my  body  is  at  my  own 
command,  and  I  enjoy  mental  liberty,  after  having  long  been 
deprived  of  it.  I  can  speak  my  sentiments  without  fear  of  any 
bad  consequences,  and  others  do  the  same — here  are  no  political 
or  religious  quarrels,  though  there  is  a  great  diversity  of  opinion 
in  matters  of  religion.  Each  one  says  what  he  thinks,  and  mutual 
respect  for  the  sentiments  of  each  other  seems  to  pervade  all  our 
intercourse.  Mr.  Jennings  is  our  preacher,  and  I  hear  him  with 
approbation  and  satisfaction.  The  Methodists  have  likewise  a 
preacher  among  them,  who  sometimes  holds  forth  to  the  great 
delight  of  those  who  take  pleasure  in  confounding  their  under- 
standing. I  am  in  habits  of  intimacy  with  Mr.  Jennings,  and 
Mr.  Bosson  particularly,  who  are  both  men  of  great  powers  of  mind 
I  am  on  the  best  terms  with  Mr.  Schnee,  who  I  may  even  venture 
to  call  my  friend,  and  likewise  with  the  other  members  of  the 
Committee. 

I  heartily  wish  you  were  here — you  would  at  once  find  em- 
ployment in  the  printing  office,  and  pass  your  life  hapily — You 
would  be  associated  with  a  number  of  young  men  who  form  a  band 
of  music,  and  perform  a  concert  every  Thursday  evg.  You 


374  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

would  even  join  in  the  dance  which  takes  place  once  a  week. 
Your  military  propensities  would  be  fully  gratified  in  finding  a 
sufficient  number  of  congenial  dispositions  who  are  fond  of  that 
pursuit  and  have  formed  themselves  into  a  Co.  of  St.  Infantry 
under  the  direction  of  Capt.  Larkin,  who  takes  pleasure  in  it. 
They  have  just  reed,  their  uniform  from  Pittsburg,  but  have  not 
yet  appeared  in  it.  Upon  the  whole,  after  a  full  comparison  of 
the  advantages  and  inconveniences  of  my  present  situation  I  am 
quite  satisfied.  Let  us  now  attend  to  other  matters.  *  *  * 

There  has  for  some  time  past  been  a  good  deal  of  conversa- 
tion and  consultation  about  establishing  a  social,  circulating 
library,  but  nothing  has  yet  been  decided  on.  Whenever  this 
is  determined  on  I  am  to  be  Librarian,  which,  with  my  occupa- 
tion in  the  printing  office  will  be  sufficient  employment  for  me — 
and  of  the  most  agreeable  kind — and  with  agreeable  people. 
You  may  be  sure  I  am  doing  all  I  can  to  bring  it  about.  In  the 
meantime  I  spend  my  time  in  obtaining  a  correct  knowledge  of 
the  local  affairs  of  the  place.  In  due  time  I  will  communicate 
the  result  of  the  observations  I  may  be  able  to  make.  At  present 
I  am  boarding  with  the  only  baker  in  the  town  at  57  cents  per 
week.  He  is  a  jroung  married  man — no  children — and  our  dinner 
party  consists  of  himself,  his  wife — Mr.  Bosson  and  myself. 
That  is,  Mr.  B.  and  I  have  our  breakfast — dinner  and  tea  there — 
and  our  lodging  as  before  described,  so  that  I  may  say,  upon  the 
whole  I  am  very  well  situated. 

I  wish  you  would  write  me  a  long  letter, — freely  &  confiden- 
tially, which  will  not  fail  to  impart  great  satisfaction  to,  my  dear 
Wm.  Yr.  truly  affectionate  father, 

Wm.  Pelham. 

New  Harmony,  Inda.  Friday  Sept.  9,  1825. 
My  dear  William. 

Yesterday  evening,  after  I  had  written,  sealed  and  put  into 
the  P.  O.  2  packets  directed  to  the  "P.  M.  Zanesville"  *  *  *  ,  I 
received  your  acceptable  favor  of  the  15th  of  August,  accompanied 
with  the  O,  Rep.  of  Aug.  13. 

Associations  on  Mr.  Owen's  principles  I  find  are  springing 
up  in  the  various  places.  Beside  the  society  at  the  Yellow  Spring, 
and  the  one  you  mention  in  Allegany  Co.  Pa.  another  has  been 
formed  at  Albion,  Illinois,  the  settlement  made  by  the  late  Mr. 
Birkbeck,  of  which  a  favorable  acct.  has  been  reed.  here. 

Your  information  that  Mess.   Keightly  and  Harris  will  not 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  375 

visit  this  place  till  October  or  November  corresponds  with  what 
I  learnt  from  themselves,  and  really  I  do  not  know  how  they  will 
contrive  to  obtain  accomodations  when  they  do  come.  If  they 
remain  at  the  Tavern  while  they  are  not  members  they  will  be 
charged,  each,  $2  a  week,  as  the  Tavern  is  considered  one  of  the 
sources  of  revenue  for  the  society.  If  they  come  determined  and 
prepared  to  join  the  society  immediately,  I  think  Mr.  K.  may 
manage  to  fit  up  some  vacant  log-hut  for  the  reception  of  himself 
and  famy.  and  Mr.  H.  might  find  admission  into  one  of  the  board- 
ing houses  established  for  the  accommodation  of  members  of  the 
community.  It  was  fortunate  for  me  that  I  had  the  precaution 
to  bring  all  my  bedding,  tho  upon  opening  my  packages  I  was 
disappointed  to  find  no  thin  coverlet.  I  really  thought  a  white 
quilt  had  been  put  into  the  barrel  or  the  large  trunk.  Your  run 
was  of  great  service  to  me.  On  board  the  boat  it  saved  my  bed 
and  blankets  from  dirt  &  here  it  is  tacked  on  the  frame  of  my  cob- 
bedstead.  *  *  * 

While  at  Mt.  Vernon  I  heard  the  most  unfavorable  accounts 
of  this  place,  but  knowing  how  prone  mankind  are  to  speak  ill 
of  everything  intended  for  their  benefit,  I  paid  but  little  attention 
to  what  was  said.  On  my  arrival  here,  the  mystery  was  ex- 
plained. The  most  bitter  denunciators  of  the  system  were  pre- 
cisely those  who  applied  for  admission  and  been  refused;  because 
they  were  idlers,  whose  sole  object  was  to  be  supported  by  the 
industrious  part  of  the  community.  They  were  disappointed 
and  hence  arose  their  enmity.  This  society  has  certainly  com- 
menced under  the  most  unfavorable  circumstances.  Their  pred- 
ecessors left  everything  to  be  renewed — before  this  establishment 
could  be  made  productive.  They  settled  themselves  here  in 
poverty  and  misery  and  departed  in  wealth  and  comfort,  and  con- 
sidering these  and  other  circumstances,  it  is  rather  surprising  that 
their  successors,  coming  from  all  quarters  of  the  world,  and  unac- 
quainted with  one  another's  habits  and  dispositions,  have  been 
able  to  effect  so  much  as  they  have  done  for  their  mutual  con- 
venience and  comfort.  Everyone  with  whom  I  converse,  expresses 
the  utmost  confidence  in  the  integrity,  wisdom,  and  benevo- 
lence of  Mr.  Owen,  and  the  day  of  his  return  will  be  a  day  of  re- 
joicing throughout  the  settlement.  The  present  Committee  is 
composed  of  men  of  first  rate  ability — but  they  cannot  perform 
impossibilities — they  cannot  in  a  day  or  a  month  change  long 
established  habits  and  prejudices,  there  must  be  time  for  this, 
and  three  months  intercourse  has  already  produced  much  more 


376  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

harmony  of  mind  and  unity  of  action  than  any  other  system  is 
capable  of  producing.  On  my  way  from  Mt.  Vernon,  within 
three  miles  of  this  place,  I  came  to  an  extensive  brick  yard  on  the 
side  of  the  road  where  a  number  of  men  were  busily  employed  in 
making  bricks  for  the  new  village,  the  location  of  which  will  be 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road. 

You  mention  that  you  have  "heard  some  discouraging  news 
from  New  Harmony,  propagated  by  an  English  ropemaker  who 
left  Cincinn  quite  charmed  with  the  system,  and  has  since  re- 
turned disgusted."  I  have  enquired  into  this  matter  and  learned 
that  the  person  alluded  to,  as  soon  as  he  came  in  sight  of  the  town 
from  the  neighboring  hills,  declared  that  he  was  utterly  disap- 
pointed and  disgusted,  he,  nevertheless,  came  into  the  town- 
had  all  the  talk  to  himself — tarried  one  night  and  departed  next 
morning  to  enlighten  his  hearers  on  the  subject  of  Mr.  Owen's 
System  for  ameliorating  the  condition  of  mankind.  How  little 
could  this  man  know  of  what  he  could  so  flippantly  talk  about, — 
and  what  sort  of  hearers  must  those  people  be,  who  could  swallow 
his  crudities? 

Sunday  Sept.  11,  12  o'clock  M. 

I  have  just  returned  from  Meeting; — and  strange  as  it  may 
appear  to  you,  I  am  a  constant  attendant.  The  orator  was  Mr. 
Jennings;  and  the  substance,  and  indeed  the  whole  of  his  discourse 
was  a  moral  lecture,  in  the  plainest  and  most  intelligible  language. 
He  began  by  reading  an  extract  from  Robert  Dale  Owen's  "Out- 
line of  the  System  of  Education  at  Lanark"  beginning  at  the  1st 
page,  in  which  the  author  disclaims  all  necessity  for  reward  or 
punishment  in  the  education  of  children.  The  orator  then  pro- 
ceeded to  illustrate  by  familiar  examples,  the  beneficial  results 
of  a  course  in  which  rewards  and  punishments  are  exploded,  and 
the  pernicious  effects  of  an  opposite  course.  Mr.  Jennings  then 
expatiated  on  the  rights  and  duties  of  men  in  society,  clearly 
showing  that  equality  is  the  parent  of  liberty  and  justice;  without 
a  full  enjoyment  of  which,  mankind  cannot  be  otherwise  than 
unhappy.  The  discourse,  as  far  as  it  could  be  regarded  in  a 
political  light,  was  a  truly  democratic  lecture,  exhibiting  the  ill 
consequences  arising  from  artificial  distinctions,  in  station,  in 
dress,  and  appearance  and  recommended  as  much  uniformity  in 
these  particulars  as  may  be  practicable  in  this  preliminary  society. 
At  the  close  of  the  lecture  he  announced  that  the  publication  of 
the  "New  Harmony  Gazette"  would  be  commenced  on  next  Saty. 
week — viz.  the  24"  of  Sept. 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  377 

I  learnt  today  that  the  Committee  determined  yesterday  that 
the  publication  of  the  paper  should  commence  under  the  direction 
of  Mr.  Jennings  and  Mr.  Owen  &  that  my  assistance  would  be 
acceptable  as  Corrector  &c  &c. 

Tuesday  evg.  13th. 

Yesterday  morning  Mr.  J.  conducted  me  to  the  Editorial  room 
which  is  a  commodius  one  in  the  house  where  he  resides.  *  *  * 
Here  I  commenced  my  operations  by  filing,  at  my  leisure,  all  the 
newspapers  in  possession  of  the  establishment,  consisting  chiefly 
of  the  N.  Intelln.  [Intelligence]  &  N>.  Journal  and  of  these  not 
many.  Mr.J.  has  a  good,  tho  small  collection  of  books  which  he 
has  placed  in  this  room. — 

Now  while  I  think  of  it,  I  will  tell  you  what  would  be  accept- 
able to  me  if  Mr.  Keightly  could  make  it  convenient  to  take 
charge  of  them  when  he  comes  in  November. 

1st.  All  the  books  &c  on  the  enclosed  list.  Of  the  others, 
retain  what  you  please,  and  send  me  the  remainder. 

2dly.  My  bedstead  which  I  left  standing  in  the  front  room 
and  if  accompanied  with  a  sacking  bottom — the  old  curtains 
and  valance — so  much  the  better.  I  can  have  a  tester  made  here. 

3rd.  An  old  quilt  of  some  sort,  and  a  hammer  to  drive  small 
nails,  tacks  &c. 

4th.     Four  chairs  which  I  left  in  the  front  room. 

5.  The  looking  glass  which  hung  in  the  back  parlor  in  the 
mahogany  frame.  If  I  had  been  certain  of  remaining  here  when 
I  left  Z.  I  should  have  brought  these  things  with  me,  for  I  am 
daily  experiencing  the  want  of  some  of  them. 

Wed.  14  Sept. 

At  4  o'clock  this  afternoon  I  shall  have  been  here  3  weeks, 
having  arrived  on  the  24th  Aug.  as  stated  before,  and  really  I 
seem  already  to  be  an  old  inhabitant,  which  I  can  no  otherwise 
account  for  than  by  the  circumstance  of  my  having  become 
acquainted  with  so  many  people  and  the  frank  and  friendly  inter- 
course subsisting  among  us.  Whatever  difference  of  opinion 
there  may  be,  (and  there  is  in  reality  a  great  difference  in  religious 
matters)— I  hear  no  illiberal  remarks,  I  see  no  overbearing  temper 
exhibited,  but  each  one  pursues  his  own  course  without  meddling 
with  his  neighbor.  The  most  numerous  sect,  I  believe,  is  that  of 
the  persons  who  take  delight  in  wandering  with  Baron  Sweden- 
borg  in  the  regions  of  fancy,  where  they  are  permitted  to  roam  at 
large  without  annoyance  or  molestation.  As  they  experience  no 


378  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

persecution,  they  have  nothing  to  complain  of,  only  that  others 
will  not  wander  with  them.  The  same  remark  applied  to  the 
other  sectarians,  and  hence  a  kind  of  tacit  agreement  has  been 
made  to  let  each  other  alone.  You  can  scarcely  imagine  how  well 
satisfied  I  am  with  this  state  of  things,  so  much  I  assure  you, 
that  no  temptation  could  again  draw  me  into  the  vortex  of  mental 
tyranny  from  which  I  have  escaped.  Liberty  of  speech  and 
action  without  infringing  on  the  rights  of  others,  has  ever  been 
the  object  of  my  ardent  desire,  and  here  at  length,  I  enjoy  it. 

Thursday  Morning. 

As  I  have  nothing  new  to  communicate  respecting  myself  or 
others,  I  will  endeavor  to  give  you  some  idea  of  the  buildings  and 
general  appearance  of  this  place,  premising  that  the  town  is  laid 
off  in  squares,  similar  to  Zanesville,  though  the  houses  and  gardens 
are  far  from  being  as  regular.  There  is  a  considerable  number  of 
brick  houses,  some  frame  buildings,  and  a  great  many  log-cabins, 
some  of  which  are  built  of  hewed  logs,  the  others  round  and  rough. 
In  the  center  stands  the  Church,  near  which  is  an  excellent  pump, 
at  about  an  equal  distance  from  the  Church  and  Tavern.  Mr. 
Rapp's  large  brick  dwelling  on  one  side  fronts  the  Church,  or 
rather  the  square  in  which  the  Church  stands;  and  on  the  other, 
fronts  the  main  street,  having  in  each  front  7  windows  below  and 
7  in  the  second  story.  The  boarding  houses,  and  the  boarding 
school  the  new  church  (now  called  the  Hall)  the  steam  mill,  and 
the  public  store,  are  all  of  brick,  and  are  more  or  less  large,  acord- 
ing  to  their  respective  uses.  The  brick  as  well  as  the  frame 
dwelling  houses  are  built  on  an  uniform  and  very  limited  scale,  and 
none  of  them  of  more  than  2  low  stories,  the  ground  floor  being 
invariably  as  follows,  with  the  gable  end  to  the  street  &  a  small 
garden  full  of  fruit  trees  attached  to  each.  They  are  commonly 
placed  at  the  corners  of  the  squares.  The  workshops  are  mostly 
in  log  huts.  The  upper  story  is  an  exact  counterpart  of  the  lower 
one,  if  the  lower  rooms  hold  all  the  family  the  large  upper  room 
and  the  little  cell  over  the  kitchen  are  appropriated  to  boarders. 

The  log-cabins  are  scattered  about  without  the  least  regard  to 
regularity  of  location.  The  situation  of  this  helter-skelter  village 
is  really  beautiful,  and  since  the  surrounding  land  has  been  cleared 
and  drained,  is  healthy.  The  town  receives  its  supply  of  water 
for  domestic  use  from  a  number  of  wells  and  pumps  dispersed 
through  it,  and  I  understand  it  is  of  that  kind  called  limestone. 
For  washing  the  inhabitants  depend  on  rain  and  river  water. 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  379 

I  have  been  here  three  weeks  &  I  have  not  yet  seen  the  Wabash!! 
The  reason  is  that  I  find  so  many  other  things  attracting  my  atten- 
tion that  my  rambles  have  been  much  circumscribed.  In  fact, 
my  chief  object  has  been  to  make  myself  acquainted  with  the 
individual  character  of  the  human  beings  by  which  I  am  sur- 
rounded, and  the  system  of  government  in  operation.  I  have  now 
reason  to  believe  that  the  principle  care  of  providing  matter  for 
the  N.  H.  [New  Harmony]  Gazette  will  devolve  upon  me  and  my 
time  will  consequently  be  engaged  by  that  concern.  Of  the  two 
members  of  the  Committee  who  were  appointed  to  superintend 
the  press,  Mr.  Jennings  has  declined,  in  order  that  he  may  ?ive 
his  whole  attention  to  the  superintendence  of  the  Boarding  School 
&  Mr.  Owen's  daily  &  pressing  occupations  leave  him  no  time,  so 
I  think  the  paper  will  be  left  pretty  much  to  Mr.  Palmer  and 
myself,  with  such  occasional  assistance  as  we  can  extort  from  the 
literati.  Although  the  day  fixed  for  the  commencement  of  the 
paper  of  the  24"  of  this  month,  I  do  not  like  that  it  should  be 
begun  on  that  day,  and  as  it  has  already  been  so  long  delayed  I 
shall  endeavor  to  postpone  it  one  week  longer  that  it  may  commence 
on  the  1st  of  October.  By  this  arrangement  the  1st  vol.  will 
comprise  7  months  ending  on  the  1st  May,  the  2nd  6  months 
ending  on  1st  Nov.  and  every  other  vol.  6  months  ending  alternatly 
on  1st  Nov.  and  1st  May,  the  latter  being  the  anniversary  of  the 
adoption  of  the  New  Harmony  Constitution.  Whether  the  Comee. 
will  agree  to  the  postponement  I  know  not,  but  I  shall  urge  it, 
with  due  diference.  I  have  not  mentioned  it  yet  to  Mr.  Palmer 
but  I  have  no  doubt  of  his  assent. 

Since  writing  the  above,  I  have  conversed  with  Mr.  P.   [Palmer] 
on  the  subject.    He  says  each  year  will  form  one  vol.  in  the  manner 
of  the  Cincinnati  Literary  Gaz.  and  other  similar  papers.  *  *  * 
Most  truly  yr  affectionate  father, 

Wm.  Pelham. 

Monday  19  Sept.  1825. 

Yesterday  at  10  o'clock  A.  M.  Mr.  Jennings  ascended  the 
pulpit  in  the  old  Church  (which  is  now  called  The  Church)  and 
continued  the  reading  of  Robert  Dale  Owen's  Outline  of  Educa- 
tion. His  auditors  were  about  as  numerous  as  usual.  He  again 
expatiated  on  the  indispensable  necessity  of  establishing  the 
principle  of  equality  as  the  basis  of  liberty.  He  showed  the  ab- 
solute necessity  of  everyone  being  diligent  in  the  performance  of 
his  or  her  respective  duty.  He  was  listened  to  with  profound 


380  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

attention,  and  the  discourse  he  delivered  must  produce  good 
effects  because  it  was  reasonable  and  perfectly  intelligible  to  all. 

At  2  o'clock  P.  M.  it  was  announced  by  the  ringing  of  the  bell 
that  something  was  to  be  said  or  done  at  church.  I  immediately 
repaired  hither,  and  found  the  pulpit  occupied  by  a  stranger  who 
thought  he  could  say  something  that  would  be  useful.  Very  few 
persons  were  present.  The  gentleman  began  by  giving  out  a  hymn 
to  be  sung  by  the  congregation — only  one  person  joined  him. 
After  hobbling  through  one  verse,  the  remainder  was  laid  aside 
and  "Let  us  pray"  pronounced  in  an  audible  voice.  Some  knelt 
down,  some  stood,  and  others  remained  sitting.  The  preacher 
delivered  a  devout  prayer,  and  seemed  much  relieved  by  this 
effusion  of  the  spirit.  He  then  commenced  an  attempt  to  reconcile 
some  contradictions  in  the  holy  book — and  talked  about  f  of  an 
hour  in  the  usual,  incoherent,  unintelligible  manner.  I  found 
afterwards  that  his  remarks  made  little  or  no  impression  on  his 
hearers. 

At  8  p.  m.  the  bell  again  rang  and  I  again  attended  where  I 
found  a  considerable  number  of  persons  assembled  to  hear  a 
preacher  of  the  Methodist  doctrine  whose  name  I  could  not  learn, 
though  I  inquired  of  several  persons.  I  found,  however,  that  he 
was  one  of  the  Circuit  preachers.  This  man  appeared  to  have 
learned  his  lessons  very  accurately,  for  his  cant  phrases  flowed 
from  him  with  remarkable  ease  and  rapidity,  and  were  answered 
by  many  spiritual  groans,  and  other  evidences  of  entire  sympathy. 
When  he  gave  out  a  hymn,  a  considerable  number  of  male  and 
female  voices  were  joined  with  his,  and  really  the  music  was 
delightful,  for  singing  is  taught  here  scientifically.  He  then 
named  a  text,  and  talked  as  usual  about  sin,  and  the  devil,  and 
heaven,  and  the  straight  and  narrow  way  leading  to  salvation, 
the  utter  impossibility  of  being  saved  but  through  the  merits 
of  our  blessed  Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ  &c  &c.  I  mustered 
patience  to  sit  and  hear  him  to  the  end  and  when  the  judge 
pronounces  against  me  "Depart  ye  wicked  &c"  I  intend  to  plead 
this  command  of  myself  in  mitigation  of  the  sentence.  After  he 
had  finished,  a  member  of  the  Community  with  whom  I  am  ac- 
quainted, and  who  is  a  sort  of  a  Methodist  preacher,  took  his 
place  in  the  pulpit,  and  in  a  moderate  tone  and  manner  related 
his  individual  experience  as  an  example  to  others,  he  was  also 
attended  to  though  he  said  nothing  but  what  had  been  said  a 
thousand  times.  It  seems  he  is  unwilling  to  exchange  his  belief 
in  divine  revelation  for  all  the  joys  and  pleasures  of  the  world. 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  381 

So  be  it,  for  notwithstanding  this  whimsical  notion,  he  is  really  a 
good  member  of  the  Society,  and  devoted  to  the  system  as  far 
as  he  comprehends  it. 

You  would  be  amused  to  come  into  the  church  while  we  are 
at  our  devotions.  The  walls  bare — the  ceiling  lofty — the  beams 
and  joists  uncovered,  the  pulpit  itself  nothing  but  a  raised  plat- 
form furnished  with  a  bench,  and  sort  of  desk,  the  preacher  in  his 
ordinary  clothing,  a  striped  roundabout  and  linen  pantaloons — 
(this  is  the  common  appearance  of  Mr.  Jennings,  Mr.  Owen  and 
some  others)  benches  ranged  for  the  congregation,  on  one  side 
for  the  men,  on  the  other  for  the  females,  many  of  the  former  in 
their  shirt  sleeves,  among  the  latter  a  variety  of  ornamental 
drapery,  and  among  the  whole  the  greatest  order  and  decorum. 
No  one  troubles  himself  about  his  neighbor's  appearance  unless 
there  be  an  affectation  of  finical  attention  to  dress.  This  however, 
will  wear  away  gradually. 

Tuesday  evg.  9  o'clock. 

I  have  just  returned  from  the  Hall,  where  there  is  music  and 
dancing  every  Tuesday  evening.  Every  Friday  evening  there 
is  a  concert  in  the  same  place.  Some  biggots  are  dreadfully 
scandalized  that  these  parties  are  held  in  a  building  originally 
intended  for  divine  worship,  nevertheless,  the  fire  and  brimstone 
have  not  yet  descended  from  heaven  to  destroy  us  for  this  wicked 
perversion. 

Yesterday  evening  there  was  a  drunken  frolic  among  some 
young  men  who  contrived  to  procure  some  whiskey  from  the 
country  people  who  came  in  to  make  their  purchases  in  the  store. 
The  Committee  took  cognizance  of  the  matter  today,  and  have 
expelled  three  of  the  offenders,  who  are  deemed  incorrigible,  being 
not  only  addicted  to  drink  but  likewise  gamblers  and  idlers. 
What  sort  of  character  will  these  men  give  us  when  they  return 
to  their  homes? 

It  is  now  determined  that  the  paper  shall  be  published  on  the 
1st  of  October,  being  the  day  Mr.  Owen  embarked  in  England 
12jiionths  ago,  to  come  to  America.  I  gave  Mr.  Palmer  all  the 
matter  I  had  prepared  for  the  first  paper,  and  he  said  there  was 
enough  for  3  at  least.  The  paper  will  be  in  4to — the  size  of  the 
Cincinnati  Literary  Gazette. 

Tell  Mr.  Keightly  that  articles  of  provision  will  be  in  demand 
here  in  the  course  of  the  winter,  such  as  hams,  pickled  pork, 
potatoes,  and  perhaps  flour.  Vegetables  of  all  kinds  are  very 
scarce,  for  the  old  Harmonites  left  the  garden  fences  in  a  wretched 


382  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

condition,  and  before  they  could  be  repaired  by  the  new  comers, 
the  hogs  and  cows  had  very  materially  injured  the  gardens. 
Some  persons  think  that  Mr.  Owen  will  not  be  here  till  the  middle 
of  December  and  I  am  much  of  the  same  opinion. 

I  have  traversed  the  town  to  find  a  suitable  editorial  room  in 
which  I  might  place  my  bed,  but  hitherto  without  success.  Many 
of  the  young  men  are  lodging  in  barns  and  other  out-houses,  so 
that  my  present  shell  is  esteemed  a  very  confortable  location, 
nevertheless  I  must  have  better  winter  quarters,  or  they  will  have 
me  on  the  Doctor's  list  before  Christmas.  Of  this,  however,  I 
have  no  great  apprehension,  for  every  member  of  the  Committee 
seems  disposed  to  accomodate  me  as  well  as  circumstances  will 
permit.  *  *  * 

Thursday  Evg. 

At  this  moment  (half  past  eight)  the  moon  is  shining  brightly 
and  the  light  infantry  company  under  Capt.  Larkin,  dressed  in 
their  new  uniform  (very  much  like  yours)  are  marching  and  count- 
ermarching in  the  square  and  in  the  streets,  accompanied  by  the 
boys  under  the  direction  of  their  respective  school-masters  who 
teach  them  to  perform  the  same  evolutions  which  they  do  with 
great  precision. 

This  afternoon  I  attended  the  funeral  of  a  female  member. 
She  was  burried  out  of  the  town  in  a  corner  of  a  fine  apple  orchard, 
and  without  any  of  the  parade  and  cant  that  I  have  formerly  seen 
and  heard  on  such  occasions. 

I  must  now  quit  writing  and  search  12  or  15  newspapers  for 
matter  to  be  inserted  in  the  1st  number  of  the  New  Harmony 
Gaz.  It  is  always  best  to  take  time  by  the  forelock. 

Tell  Mr.  Nims,  Mr.  Westbrook  and  Mr.  Sheward  and  all  others 
who  may  inquire  of  you  that  the  want  of  accommodation  here 
at  present  is  so  great  that  I  would  recommend  to  them  if  they 
seriously  contemplate  a  removal  hither  to  postpone  it  till  they 
hear  further  from  me.  *  *  *  Wm.  Pelham. 

Monday  Evg.  Sept.  26,  1825. 

On  Saturday  evening  last,  the  Society  was  called  together  by 
the  Committee  to  decide  a  case,  which,  being  the  only  one  yet 
presented  to  their  notice,  the  Committee  did  not  choose  to  deter- 
mine, on  their  own  authority  only.  The  case  was  this. 

The  Superintendent  of  the  Steam  Mill  had  at  several  times 
complained  to  the  Committee,  that  his  pay  was  not  sufficient  for 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  383 

the  support  of  himself  and  his  family.  On  such  occasions,  the 
Committee,  conformably  to  their  usual  practice,  gave  him  an 
additional  credit  at  the  store.  By  this  means  he  became  a  debtor 
to  the  Society,  under  the  presumption  that  he  would  continue  a 
member,  and  gradually  wipe  off  the  debt.  But  it  seems  that  this 
was  not  his  intention;  for,  a  few  days  ago,  having  obtained  another 
order  on  the  store  to  the  amount  of  sixty  dollars,  and  received  the 
goods  he  wanted,  he  suddenly  gave  notice  of  his  intention  to 
withdraw  from  the  society.  On  settlement  of  his  account,  the 
balance  against  him,  after  every  allowance,  was  $77.62^  This 
balance  he  refused  to  liquidate  in  any  manner  whatever,  and  the 
members  of  the  Society  were  summoned  to  determine  what  steps 
should  be  taken  on  this  novel  case.  After  much  discussion  and 
ample  explanation  on  both  sides,  a  large  majority  determined 
by  vote,  that  the  Superintendent  restore  so  much  of  the  property 
drawn  from  the  store  as  could  be  restored,  for  which  he  should 
have  credit,  and  that  for  the  remainder  of  the  debt  he  should  give 
his  note  payable  at  a  time  to  be  agreed  on,  and  further,  that  if  he 
refused  to  comply  with  these  terms  he  should  be  expelled. 

I  understand  that  the  affair  has  been  adjusted  in  some  way, 
and  that  he  will,  tomorrow,  retire  from  this  place.  During  the 
meeting  he  endeavored  to  excite  a  spirit  of  general  discontent 
among  the  members,  but  in  this  he  utterly  failed,  and  I  have 
reason  to  believe  that  such  attempts  will  always  meet  with  a 
similar  fate.  I  know  not  whither  he  is  going,  but  doubtless, 
wherever  he  goes  he  will  spread  a  doleful  account  of  the  injustice 
and  oppression  he  experienced  at  New  Harmony  and  advise  his 
hearers  to  shun  this  place  as  they  would  a  pleague  or  pestilence. 

Yesterday  at  the  usual  hour,  Mr.  Wm.  Owen  ascended  the 
pulpit  in  the  Church,  and  read  that  portion  of  Robert  Dale  Owen's 
"Outline  of  Education"  which  treats  of  the  subject  of  religion, 
with  explanatory  remarks  and  comments  of  his  own.  He  is  a 
good  reader  and  speaker,  except  that  his  voice  is  not  sufficiently 
strong  and  firm.  His  audience  was  numerous  and  attentive. 
His  manner  is  most  mild  and  conciliating,  for  he  is  an  ami- 
able young  man,  about  twenty  five.  He  only  wants  experience. 

This  afternoon,  the  weather  being  fine,  I  treated  myself  with 
a  view  of  the  Wabash;  the  distance  from  my  lodging  being  but 
little  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  landing.  The  river  is 
beautiful,  and  at  this  place  about  half  the  width  of  the  Muskingum 
at  Zanesville.  The  shore  is  a  sandy  beach  intermixed  with  small 
pebbles.  The  bank  appeared  to  be  about  twenty  feet  high  from 


384  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  level  of  the  water.  From  the  foot  of  the  bank  to  the  edge  of  the 
water  about  the  same  distance.  There  were  two  or  three  boats 
lying  at  a  little  distance  above  the  landing  place. 

Tuesday  noon. 

Last  night  the  weather  was  so  cold  as  to  require  a  good  fire. 
This  coldness  of  the  air  silenced  the  musicians  who  have  so  dili- 
gently amused  the  inhabitants  of  this  town  every  since  I  have 
been  here.  I  mean  certain  little  winged  insects  who  take  care  to 
indemnify  themselves  for  any  trouble  they  are  at  to  entertain  us, 
by  piercing  the  skin  and  drawing  off  the  superfluous  moisture. 
On  my  complaining  of  these  troublesome  visitors,  I  was  told, 
"Never  mind  it, — you  will  get  used  to  them" — and  so  indeed  I 
found  out;  for  I  begin  to  be  very  indifferent  about  them.  In 
reality,  I  have  become  inattentive  to  many  inconveniences  which 
would  have  worried  me  excessively  in  Zanesville.  So  much 
depends  on  the  state  of  the  mind. 

Afternoon  4  o'clock. 

I  have  just  come  from  the  printing  office,  where  Mr.  Palmer  is 
working  off  one  side  of  the  paper.  He  has  an  elegant  new  Super- 
royal  press  of  the  kind  called  the  Stansbury  press,  which  requires 
less  than  one  third  of  the  strength  necessary  for  working  the 
common  screw  press.  It  cost  $170.  Having  no  knowledge  in 
these  matters,  I  cannot  give  you  a  description  of.it.  I  can  only 
perceive  that  the  labor  of  pulling  the  bar  is  comparatively  noth- 
ing. I  wish  you  had  such  a  one,  or  that  you  were  here  to  try 
the  difference.  *  *  * 

As  you  have  had  the  opportunity  of  seeing  a  great  number  of 
newspapers,  I  wish  you  would  send  me  a  list  of  such  as  you  recom- 
mend in  exchange,  omitting  all  that  you  know  to  be  violent  party 
papers,  such  as  Democratic  Press,  N.  York  Advocate,  Richmond 
Enquirer,  and  others  of  the  same  stamp.  What  do  you  think  of 
the  Athens  Mirror  in  this  point  of  view?  I  think  it  is  a  literary 
paper  and  it  is  such  we  want.  But  we  want  not  any  of  the  cant- 
ing, hypocritical,  lying  religious  papers  so  called,  which  tell  us 
everything  but  the  truth  and  whose  sole  object  is  to  "Milk  the 
Goats." — If  you  don't  understand  this  expression  ask  our  friend, 
Martin  Hill  to  explain  it  as  he  found  it  explained  in  "Plain  Truth." 

The  superintendent  alluded  to  in  the  beginning  of  this  letter 
is  gone,  having  previously  restored  some  of  the  goods  he 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  385 

obtained,  and  given  his  note   for   the   balance,  with  acceptable 
security.  *  *  * 

My  thoughts  often  dwell  on  you  &  and  always  with  the  feel- 
ings of  An  affectionate  father, 

Wm.  Pelham. 

Private  and  confidential.  Sept.  29.  [1825] 
What  I  have  written  to  you,  since  my  arrival  here  is  strictly 
true  as  far  as  it  goes,  though  I  would  not  wish  anything  you  re- 
ceive from  me  in  manuscript,  to  appear  in  the  paper,  unless  I 
particularly  request  it.  Many  things  are  in  an  unsettled  state, 
and  will  probably  remain  so  till  Mr.  Owen's  return. 

As  an  instance — After  Mr.  Jenn.  &  Mr.  O.  were  appointed  by 
the  Com.  to  superintend  the  press,  I  applied  to  them  for  matter, 
both  original  and  selected.  The  former  explicity  declined,  and 
threw  the  burden  on  me — &  the  latter  was  so  immersed  in  his  daily 
business  that  I  could  scarcely  get  an  opportunity  of  speaking 
with  him.  I  went  on  as  well  as  I  could,  &  prepared  the  matter, 
corrected  the  proof  of  the  first  side,  &  returned  it  to  the  printer. 
The  form  was  worked  off  yesterday  afternoon.  This  morning 
Mr.  J.  found  several  things  which  he  said  must  be  altered — but  it 
was  too  late.  This  brought  an  explanation,  and  it  is  now  de- 
termined, that  an  hour  shall  be  appointed  when  they  are  jointly 
to  attend  to  the  business.  This  will  be  a  great  relief  to  me.  At 
2  o'clock  this  afternoon  they  did  indeed  meet  at  the  Printing 
Off.  accompanied  with  2  other  members  of  the  Com.  to  revise 
the  matter  prepared  for  the  inside  of  the  paper — and  cut  down 
a  good  deal  of  the  manuscript  laid  before  them — whether  for 
better  or  worse,  I  cannot  determine.  At  all  events  they  have 
done  something,  and  the  paper  will  be  published  according  to 
appointment.- — When  once  begun,  it  must  go  on — Mr.  J.  wrote 
a  few  lines  to  precede  my  biograph.  sketch  of  Mr.  O. — Mr. 
Bosson  wrote  the  View  of  N.  H.  and  the  piece  relating  to  the 
salubrity  of  this  town  &  adjacent  country — I  wrote  the  head 
introducing  the  Song  No.  1  and  they  say  it  ought  to  have  been 
more  full  &  explicit — -but  none  of  them  presented  this  full  & 
explicit  statement. — I  have  mentioned  these  circumstances  to 
show  that  we  have  not  yet  got  into  a  regular  train,  though  it  will 
certainly,  in  2  or  3  weeks,  be  established.  I  want  Xiles'  Reg.  to 
take  his  Summary  of  news.  This  will  save  time  and  trouble. 

I  have  several  times  been  present  when  Mr.  Schnee  opened 
his  mail  &  have  sometimes  assisted.  Tomorrow  he  is  going  to 

T— 25 


386  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

make  up  his  quarterly  accounts  &  he  wants  me  to  be  with  him 
tho'  I  know  he  can  do  it  as  well  without  as  with  me  for  he  is  an 
intelligent  man  of  business.  His  Acct.  of  Mails  Received  will 
occupy  1\  pages. — Adieu!—  [Wm.  Pelham] 

Monday  Oct.  3,  1825. 
My  dear  Wm.  *  *  * 

Friday  evg.  was  a  bustling  time  in  the  printing  office. 
The  paper  was  expected  with  great  impatience  by  the  town 
subscribers  (who  nocked  in  at  $1  per  ann.)  besides  whom  a  number 
were  to  be  prepared  for  the  E.  [Eastern]  mail  which  closes  at 
9  o'clock  P.  M.  However  we  got  through  the  business  pretty 
well,  as  we  have  a  set  of  people  to  deal  with  very  different  from 
the  Zanesvillians  or  Lunarians,  as  they  ought  to  be  called.  *  *  : 

Yesterday  morning  I  was  prevented  by  circumstances  from 
shaving  and  dressing  myself  till  the  second  bell  rung  for  meeting. 
I  was  unwilling  to  be  absent  and  finally  at  the  instigation  of 
Wm.  Owen  I,  determined  to  go  as  I  was,  viz.  with  a  long  beard, 
dirty  shirt  and  cravat  and  my  little  short  coat  which  is  the  coat 
I  most  commonly  wear  when  the  weather  is  warm. 

Mr.  Jennings  began  with  reading  something  from  a  late 
publication  on  Political  Economy,  after  which  he  delivered  an 
excellent  discourse  on  Equality: — shewing  that  it  was  essential 
to  the  happiness  of  society,  as  all  arbitrary  distinctions  and  par- 
tialities not  founded  on  real  merit,  and  all  distinctions  arising 
from  extravagance  in  dress  and  external  appearance  have  no 
solid  foundation — that  every  person's  worth  should  be  measured 
by  his  capacity  to  be  useful  to  his  fellow  .beings.  Many  ladies 
were  present,  some  of  whom  were  fashionably  dressed  and  dec- 
orated with  ribbons  and  artificial  flowers.  I  suspect  that  some 
of  them  did  not  quite  approve  of  his  remarks. 

On  Friday  I  changed  my  boarding  house  that  I  might  be 
better  situated  in  regard  to  my  connection  with  the  printing] 
off  [ice].  The  house  in  which  this  office  is  located  is  also 
a  boarding  house,  kept  by  Mr.  Palmer,  the  printer.  On  one  side 
of  the  office  which  is  a  large  room  on  the  ground  floor  a  long  table 
is  placed  at  which  the  boarders  (about  thirty) — receive  their 
meals  which  are  punctually  on  the  table  at  a  quarter  past  7  A.  M. 
a  qr.  past  12  noon,  and  a  qr.  past  6  P.  M.  The  price  of  boarding 
everywhere  in  town  (except  the  Tavern)  is  57^  cents  per  week 
for  each  person,  being  a  member.  This  table  is  better  supplied 
with  butcher's  meat  and  vegetables  than  the  one  I  have  just  left, 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  387 

but  not  so  well  supplied  with  milk  just  now.  You  may  easily 
imagine  what  a  contract  there  must  be  between  the  talk  and  bustle 
of  so  many  boarders,  and  that  of  the  four  persons  which  formed 
our  meal  parties  at  the  baker's.  The  first  day  or  two,  I  was 
almost  stunned  with  the  noise,  but  I  am  getting  used  to  it.  Anoth- 
er thing  I  am  getting  used  to  is  the  shrill  note  of  the  cricket  in  my 
bed  room  which  I  have  no  possible  means  of  getting  rid  of.  There 
are  so  many  and  such  important  circumstances  to  counter- 
balance the  inconveniences  I  suffer  that  I  may  say  "Upon  the 
whole,  I  am  very  well  satisfied." 

Wednesday  5th. 

Yesterday  evening  being  the  regular  dancing  evening  a"  num- 
ber of  ladies  appeared  at  the  ball  in  a  new  uniform  dress  of  cheap 
American  manufacture.  I  was  prevented  from  seeing  this  ex- 
hibition by  having  to  read  a  proof-sheet  which  I  did  not  get  till 
after  dark.  As  soon  as  I  had  performed  this  duty  I  sallied  out 
with  the  intention  of  going  to  the  Hall.  As  soon  as  I  got  out  of 
doors  I  perceived  that  the  Church  also  was  lighted  up,  and  as  it 
lay  in  my  way  I  called  there  first  and  found  about  twenty 
devotees  listening  to  the  ranting  of  a  stranger  who  occupied  the 
pulpit,  and  who  was  holding  forth  with  great  strength  of  voice 
about  the  "scribes  and  Pharisees."  I  did  not  sit  down,  and  only 
remained  a  few  minutes.  Having  heard  as  much  about  these 
gentlemen  of  the  ancient  world  as  I  desired,  I  proceeded  to  the 
ball-room,  but  too  late  to  gratify  my  curiosity  with  the  sight  of 
the  new  dresses. — The  west  door  of  the  Church  and  the  e  [ast] 
door  of  the  Hall  are  about  10  feet  apart.— 

My  best  wishes  attend  you  all.  Wm.  Pelham. 

P.  S.  The  impression  of  No.  1  consisted  of  500  copies  of  which 
300  have  been  distributed  to  subscribers  and  others. 

Monday  10"  of  Oct.  1825. 

Yesterday  according  to  my  new  custom,  I  went  punctually 
to  Church,  and  heard  Mr.  Jennings  continue  the  reading  of  select 
portions  of  Thompson's  Essay  on  the  distribution  of  wealth. 
The  author  shews  distinctly,  that  a  very  considerable  part  of  the 
evils  suffered  in  Society  may  be  traced  to  the  unequal,  and  unjust 
division  of  property,  and  that  this  again  may  be  attributed  to  the 
principle  of  individual  competition.  He  then  contrasts  with  this 
the  social  system,  from  whence  this  principle  is  banished,  with  all 
its  train  of  evils,  and  the  principle  of  mutual  co-operation  sub- 


388  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

stituted  with  all  its  necessary  consequences.  After  the  reading, 
the  male  andf  female  children  of  the  society  sung  the  song  No.  2. 
If  I  can  get  the  music  I  will  send  it  to  you.  Mr.  J.  then  expa- 
tiated on  his  favorite  topics,  equality,  economy,  and  good  feel- 
ings toward  one  another.  At  the  close  of  the  discourse,  he  was 
requested  by  one  of  the  members  to  give  notice  that  at  3  P.  M. 
there  would  be  preaching  in  the  Church.  This  he  readily  did, 
and  with  due  respect*  Accordingly,  as  I  understand,  for  I  did  not 
attend,  the  Revd.  Mr.  Slocum  a  Methodist  preacher  delivered  a 
very  edifying  sermon,  that  is  to  say,  a  sermon  full  of  words  and 
phrases  quite  unintelligible  both  to  the  speaker  and  his  hearers — 
all  of  whom  have  probably  persuaded  themselves  that  they  fully 
understand  as  well  as  profess  to  believe  such  things.  In  the  even- 
ing the  weather  being  warm  and  clear,  many  were  assembled  as 
usual  before  the  door  of  the  Tavern,  (which  is  a  sort  of  Literary 
Exchange) —  where,  seated  on  chairs  and  benches,  we  discussed 
with  mutual  respect,  and  perfect  freedom,  the  various  ideas  of 
religion  entertained  by  each — and  here  we  sat  and  talked  of  God, 
the  soul,  eternity,  matter,  spirit,  &c.  &c.  (without  thinking  of 
anything  to  drink)  till  after  the  Tavern  doors  were  closed,  which 
is  always  done  at  10  o'clock.  *  *  * 

Adieu,  my  dear  Wm.  and  remember  me  kindly  to  all  friends. 
I  must  now  close  and  begin  reading  the  proof  of  the  inside  of  our 
No.  3.  Wm.  Pelham. 

P.  S.  A  letter  dated  Aug.  7  has  just  been  reed,  from  Capt. 
McDonald,  a  member  of  the  Community  who  accompanied  Mr. 
Owen,  stating  their  arrival  at  Liverpool,  and  the  expectation  that 
they  will  be  ready  about  the  first  of  October  to  embark  on  their 
return. 

New  Harmony,  Ind. 

Friday,  21  Oct.  1825. 
My  dear  Son, 

My  time,  during  the  present  week  has  been  so  fully  occupied, 
that  I  had  none  left  to  continue  my  journal,  though  several  little 
things  have  occurred  which  might  be  interesting  to  you — for 
instance  the  mustering  and  appearance  of  our  Light  Infantry 
company  and  their  inarching  out  of  town  5  miles  to  the  ground 
appropriated  to  this  object  according  to  law. 

Yesterday  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  Messrs.  Keightly 
and  Harris  in  good  health  and  spirits  after  a  journey  of  14  days 
having  left  Zanesville  on  the  6th  inst.  *  *  *  They  have  this 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  389 

morning  been  accepted  by  the  Committee  as  members  of  the 
Society  and  consequently  each  will  have  his  board  at  one  of  the 
boarding  houses  (or  as  they  are  here  called  Community  houses) 
at  the  rate  of  57^  cents  a  week.  The  wages,  or  pay,  or  allowance 
(call  it  what  you  will)  is  proportionately  low  so  that  it  amounts 
to  this  simple  fact,  that  whoever  serves  the  Society  faithfully 
and  diligently  whatever  his  occupation  may  be,  gets  his  living 
and  no  more.  If  he  has  children  they  are  also  provided  for; 
either  by  his  labor  or  their  own  if  capable  of  earning  anything, 
but  if  not  then  they  are  provided  for  by  the  Community  till  they 
are  capable  of  being  useful.  This  is  merely  a  hasty  sketch  which 
I  will  enlarge  upon  one  of  these  days  when  I  have  more  time. 
I  can  only  add  that  if  any  man  should  come  here  to  board,  with- 
out doing  anything  deemed  useful,  he  must  make  an  individual 
agreement  with  the  Committee,  for  we  want  no  idlers  of  any  descrip- 
tion, and  several  persons  of  this  sort  have  already  been  dismissed, 
and  many  more  will  find  it  expedient  to  retire,  leaving  behind 
them  the  best  part  of  the  present  population,  whom  nothing 
could  induce  to  abandon  the  pleasing  prospects  before  them.  *  *  * 

Your  truly  affectionate  father, 

Wm.  Pelham 

[P.  S.]  I  will  again  revert  to  Harris  and  Keightly.  After  intro- 
ducing them  to  the  Committee  individually  and  collectively  I 
went  with  them  in  search  of  board  and  lodging  as  they  wished  to 
leave  the  Tavern  as  soon  as. possible.  After  going  about  a  good 
deal  we  found  an  unoccupied  garret, — in  one  of  the  Community 
houses — similar  to  mine,  that  is  to  say,  no  ceiling  but  the  outside 
roof,  but  better  than  mine  both  in  extent  and  walls,  theirs  being 
brick,  and  mine  merely  a  shell  of  weather  boarding.  Without 
actual  experience,  one  cannot  realize  the  difficulty  of  getting 
house-room  in  this  place.  K  [eightly]  with  his  warm  zeal  is 
satisfied  with  his  location  and  all  concomitant  inconveniences 
and  privations.  H  [arris]  is  not  quite  so  well  contented,  but 
as  soon  he  begins  to  experience  the  beneficial  change  he  has  made 
as  respects  Society,  he  will  be  as  well  satisfied  as  any  of  us.  A 
double  feather  bed  has  been  procured — Keightly  will  make  a 
bedstead — the  store  will  furnish  him  with  a  bed  cord — blankets 
must  be  had  somehow.  Keightly  will  be  or  is  already  I  believe 
attached  to  the  carpenter's  shop  and  Hatris  will  on  Monday  next 
be  employed  in  the  counting  room  at  the  store. 

[P.  S.]    This  is  Tuesday  night  (Oct.  25th)  warm  and  rainy.     After 


390  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

supper,  (the  time  of  which  is  uniformly  6  o'clock)  I  called  at  the 
Tavern  to  see  K  [eightty]  and  H  [arris].  They  were  both 
gone  to  the  ball  *  *  *  .  I  then  came  home  to  my  lodging,  and  here 
I  am  in  my  shell,  surrounded  by  boards,  carpenters'  tools,  shav- 
ings, sawdust  &c.  for  the  Committee,  on  my  proposing  to  them 
the  alternative  of  burying  me,  or  making  my  room  comfortable 
this  winter  very  readily  embraced  the  latter  alternative  and  gave 
me  the  command  of  the  carpenter's  department  so  far  as  this 
was  necessary  for  wood-work.  I  am  also  to  have  bricks,  brick- 
layers &c.  to  fill  in  between  the  studs,  and  I  have  now  a  certain 
prospect  of  being  very  commodiously  situated  during  the  winter 
exactly  in  the  location  which  of  all  others  I  prefer,  for  I  should 
very  reluctantly  quit  the  quarters  I  have  occupied  ever  since  my 
arrival  here.  *  *  * 

Thursday  Morning. 

Mr.  Keightly  has  just  called  to  inform  me  that  he  and  Harris 
have  concluded  to  return  immediately  to  Zanesville.  He  will 
take  charge  of  this  letter  accompanied  by  a  pamphlet  just  warm 
from  the  N.  Harmony  Press.  I  beg  you  will  read  and  study  it. 
They  are  not  yet  made  up.  I  shall  endeavor  to  send  you  more 
copies  in  sheets  for  sale  25  cents  each. 


November  7",  1825,  Monday. 
My  dear  Son, 

*  *  *  You  enquired  how  my  postage  acct.  is  settled  here,  I 
answer  that  all  unpaid  letters  are  charged  in  my  pass  book  among 
other  charges.  In  the  same  book  I  have  credit  for  my  services 
at per  week.  I  have  yet  said  nothing  about  the  rate  of  allow- 
ance, but  suppose  it  will  be  $1.54  per  week,  this  being  the  allow- 
ance to  each  member  of  the  Comee.  Soon  after  my  arrival  I 
deposited  in  the  store  $10  &  have  this  day  made  an  additional 
deposit  of  $20- — both  sums  being  credited  to  me  in  the  books  of 
the  store  as  well  as  in  my  pass-book.  These  deposits  have  left 
me  $7 — which  I  still  have  in  cash.  I  have  taken  up  articles  & 
pd  for  work  $10.36 — The  pamphlets  I  sent  you  by  Keightly  are 
likewise  charged  in  my  pass-book  and  also  $1.50  for  which  I 
became  responsible  to  Mr.  Pearson  for  work  done  for  Messrs. 
Harris  &  Keightly  while  they  were  here  &  which  was  forgotten  in 
the  hurry  of  their  departure.  By  this  sketch  you  will  see  that 
my  funds  decrease  but  slowly.  *  *  *  Nor  do  I  believe  that  any 
temptation  whatever  could  induce  me  to  quite  this  tranquil  scene. 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  391 

If  I  suffer  inconveniences  here  they  are  accompanied  with  such 
alleviating  circumstances  as  greatly  deminish  their  effect. 

I  cannot  help  again  reiterating  the  advice  I  gave  you  to  come 
here  as  soon  as  possible  *  *.  There  is  a  great  number  of  young 
persons  here  of  both  sexes  in  this  place,  and  I  plainly  see  that  they 
enjoy  themselves  and  the  society  of  each  other,  their  labor  is 
moderate  and  easy,  and  their  recreations  frequent  and  innocent. 
In  short  they  please  themselves,  and  generally  if  not  always  please 
one  another.  *  *  *  You  are  aware,  that  reading.written  accounts 
of  the  circumstances  of  any  place  cannot  supply  the  place  of  actual 
inspection.  In  order  to  form  an  accurate  judgment  you  must 
actually  see  it,  and  converse  on  the  spot  with  intelligent  residents. 
K  [eightly]  &  H  [arris]  have  been  here,  the  former  is  too 
flighty  and  his  stay  too  short  to  form  a  distinct  perception — 
and  the  latter  is  too  querulous  to  be  happy  any  where,  for  every 
place  has  its  inconveniences  and  his  temper  of  mind  leads  him  to 
dwell  upon  these  and  overlook  the  counterbalancing  advantages. 
Besides  the  poor  fellow  was  tormented  with  a  boil  which  entirely 
deprived  him  of  whatever  comfort  he  might  otherwise  have  en- 
joyed. There  is  not  a  shadow  of  doubt  -in  my  mind  that  after 
five  or  six  month's  residence  here  it  would  be  an  exceeding  diffi- 
cult matter  to  induce  you  to  remove  elsewhere,  and  more  espe- 
cially to  Z  [anesville.]  You  may  call  this  enthusiasm,  if  you 
please,  but  the  real  differences  between  this  place  and  Z.  will  still 
exist  in  all  their  force,  and  certainly  you  must  allow  me  to  be  a 
tolerable  judge  of  them,  from  my  having  resided  in  both.  The 
approaching  winter  will  doubtless  bring  its  additional  inconven- 
iences, and  so  will  the  spring,  and  so  will  the  following  summer, 
the  chief  of  which  is  the  want  of  house  room. 

I  am  now  sitting  (Tuesday  night  11  o'clock.)  in  my  room 
which  has  lately  been  filled  in  with  brick  and  otherwise  rendered 
a  comfortable  dwelling  and  my  prospects  during  the  ensuing 
winter  are  almost  wholly  agreeable.  *  *  * 

Respecting  an  establishment  like  this  there  must  necessarily 
be  a  great  variety  of  opinions  and  sentiments,  and  predictions, 
but  you  will  find  that  those  who  have  given  the  least  attention  to 
the  subject  are  the  most  confident  in  prophesying  its  dissolution. 
Let  them  say  what  they  will,  you  may  feel  assured  of  its  perma- 
nency, and  it  is  the  unqualifies  opinion  of  every  intelliegent  man 
here.  For  my  own  part,  I  have  not  the  least  doubt  that  the 
present  inconveniences  will  gradually  be  supplanted  by  cir- 


392  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

cumstances  tending  to  promote  and  perpetuate  the  happiness  of 
those  who  embrace  the  System. 

Wed.  Morn.  11  o'clock. 

Smart  frost  last  night.  Weather  now  moderate  &  pleasant. 
I  have  just  retd.  from  printg.  O.  218  steps  from  thence  to  the  door 
of  my  lodging  *  *  *.  There  are  no  settled  preachers  of  the 
Gospel  here— but  traveling  preachers  very  frequently  call  and 
refresh  the  flock  with  the  words  of  grace. 

With  regard  to  the  new  village  all  that  I  can  say  is  that  the 
brickmakers — I  know  not  how  many — are  constantly  employed 
in  preparing  that  material. 

New  Harmony,  Sunday  Nov.  27,  1825. 
My  dear  son. 

*  *  *  I  shall  now  endeavor  to  answer  all  the  questions  in  your 
last  letter,  tho  it  contains  some  that  I  think  were  anticipated  in 
my  last.  When  I  said  "whoever  serves  the  society  faithfully  and 
diligently,  whatever  his  occupation  may  be,  gets  his  living  and  no 
more"  I  meant  that  all  ideas  of  individual  wealth  are  banished 
from  among  us.  If  any  chooses  to  earn  more  than  his  individual 
expenses,  the  surplus  profits  remain  in  common  stock  to  be  appro- 
priated by  the  whole  Society  in  whatever  manner  they  please, 
for  the  good  of  the  whole.  This  community  being  established  on 
the  principle  of  equal  benefits  and  enjoyments,  it  is  obviously 
different  from  our  former  plans  of  accumulating  wealth  for  in- 
dividual expenditure.  Every  one  will  enjoy  an  equal  share  with 
every  other  member,  of  the  immense  benefits  produced  by  mutual 
cooperation.  That  this  will  be  the  ultimate  effect  of  the  System 
I  have  not  the  least  doubt,  though  at  present  it  is  not  exactly  so, 
because  it  is  impossible  in  the  circumstances  of  the  present 
establishment.  You  can  hardly  expect  that  in  the  heterogenous 
population  hastily  collected  here,  there  shd  be  no  idlers,  no  specu- 
lators &c,  the  most  effectual  measures  are  however  in  active 
operation  to  make  a  just  discrimination  and  the  certain  effect 
will  be  the  withdrawal  or  expulsion  of  those  who  came  here  to 
live  upon  the  labors  of  others.  This  preliminary  society  cannot 
be  considered  as  a  fair  sample  of  the  perfect  community  in  view, 
because  it  consists  of  persons  differing  much  from  each  other  in 
their  tempers  and  inclinations,  whereas  the  new  community  will 
consist  of  select  characters  actuated  by  feelings  of  common  interest. 

At  present  there  are  many  wants  that  cannot  be  immediately 
provided  for,  and  the  greatest  of  these  is  the  want  of  suitable 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  393 

accommodation.  For  this  reason  the  twenty  persons  you  men- 
tion as  coining  from  Pittsburg  will  have  to  retrace  their  steps, 
there  is  actually  not  house  room  for  them.  Keep  it  in  mind, 
however,  that  my  room  is  large  enough  for  us  both.  All  the  con- 
versations I  heard  in  Zanesville,  and  the  letters  I  have  reed, 
since  about  this  place  relate  to  pay.  In  fact,  no  one  here  talks 
about  pay.  The  Committee  in  their  endeavor  to  equalize  the 
members  fixed  the  allowance  of  credit  to  each  at  80  dollars  a  year 
which  it  was  supposed  wd  be  sufficient  for  his  maintenance — - 
but  the  principle,  the  main  principle  is  that  every  grown  person 
is  able  to  earn  his  living,  and  if  he  feels  disposed  to  earn  more, 
the  surplus,  after  every  reasonable  expenditure  for  individual 
comfort  to  every  member  is  applied  to  the  extension  of  similar 
establishments.  This  is  the  ultimate  view — but  the  immediate 
object  is  for  each  member  to  do  all  he  can  to  provide  a  fund  from 
which  he  in  common  with  others  will  derive  all  the  enjoyments  he 
requires,  and  it  is  calculated  that  a  very  moderate  portion  of  labor 
will  be  abundantly  sufficient  for  this. — 

You  want  to  know  how  the  acct.  stands  between  Mr.  Owen  & 
the  Society.  It  is  simply  thus:  Mr.  Owen  has  advanced  his 
own  money  for  the  purchase  of  this  property.  Just  before  his 
departure  he  made  an  offer  of  it  to  the  Society  on  their  own  terms, 
which  they  declined,  preferring  that  it  should  still  continue  to  be 
his.  He  is  therefore  evidently  sole  proprietor  of  the  whole;  but 
it  is  equally  evident  that  it  will  ultimately  be  the  property  of  the 
whole  Society,  and  that,  as  soon  as  the  individuals  find  them- 
selves competent  to  conduct  the  concern  on  the  principles  which 
brought  them  together.  They  have  ever  since  his  departure  been 
endeavoring  to  make  such  arrangements  as  to  produce  the  bene- 
fits in  contemplation.  Most  of*  these  plans  have  succeeded,  but 
some  have  also  failed,  for  the  want  of  requisite  practical  knowledge. 
A  general  sentiment  prevailes  that  "things  will  go  on  better  soon 
after  the  return  of  Mr.  Owen"  who,  it  is  expected  will  be  here  in  a 
week  or  ten  days.  It  would  surprise  you  to  hear  the  universal 
expression  of  the  fullest  confidence  in  the  wisdom  and  integrity 
of  Mr.  Owen — he  is  certainly  a  most  extraordinary  man  or  he 
could  never  thus  have  attached  him — •  to  him  so  great  a  variety 
of  characters  as  compose  this  population  without  a  dissenting 
voice,  as  far  as  I  know.  This  is  not  blind  enthusiasm  in  me  for 
I  know  the  fact,  and  I  know  the  greater  part  of  these  people  have 
been  personally  acquainted  with  him.  When  /  see  him  you  shall 
have  the  result  of  my  cool,  candid  observation. 


394  EAELY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

"If  a  person  joins,  and  invests,  say  $500 — when  he  shd  wish 
to  retire  can  he  get  his  cash  again?"  This  is  one  of  your  questions. 
I  read  it  to  Mr.  Lewis  the  Secretarjr  of  the  Committee.  He  im- 
mediately answered  "Yes,  certainly!"  "Does  he  draw  interest?" 
"No  Mr.  Owen  does  not  want  to  borrow."  When  a  person 
retires  who  puts  nothing  into  the  common  stock  whatever  balance 
may  be  due  to  him  for  his  time  &  labor  will  be  paid  to  him  in  the 
products  of  the  establishment — the  profits  arising  from  his  labor, 
if  any,  will  be  merged  in  the  common  stock,  for  the  benefit  of  those 
who  remain.  It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  ascertain  profits,  in  fact, 
there  is  no  profit  till  the  article  manufactured  be  sold,  and  the 
money  actually  received.  "Is  there  any  chance  for  another 
butcher?"  Not  immediately;  unless  he  could  sleep  in  a  hay  loft.— 
"Should  John  Sockman  join,  what  would  he  have  to  do?" — "and 
what  pay?"  We  know  nothing  about  pay.  It  is  a  term  used  only 
among  you  of  the  old  world,  and  confined  wholly  to  the  selfish, 
individual  system.  Every  one  here  who  employs  himself  usefully 
has  meat,  drink,  lodging — (when  it  can  be  got)— and  is  con- 
tinually increasing  his  comforts.  If  sick  he  receives  the  neces- 
sary attendance.  If  he  has  children  they  are  provided  for.  We 
have  so  saddler,  nor  is  there  any  place  for  one  to  lodge  in.  This  is 
a  general  answer  to  all  inquiries  and  will  continue  so  until  some 
houses  can  be  built.  *  *  *  "I  do  not  at  all  like  the  account  you 
give  of  your  lodging  room."  My  last  letter  will  have  informed 
you  that  it  is  not  quite  comfortable,  tho  still  somewhat  inferior  to 
the  front  room  &c.  Everybody  who  comes  into  it  exclaims 
"How  comfortably  you  are  fixed  here."  "How  does  the  new  village 
come  on?"  Not  so  fast  as  we  wish,  but  as  well  as  can  be  expected. 
The  brickmakers  have  been  at  work  on  the  spot  during  the  whole 
summer  and  have  made  240,000. 

The  dismal  story  you  copied  from  the  Pittsb[urg]  Mercury 
was  already  known  here,  and  the  writer  is  also  known.  He  is  a 
Baptist  preacher  I  heard  him  preach  just  after  my  arrival,  and  he 
went  away  displeased  because  Mr.  Jennings  out-preached  him. 
I  wd  recommend  to  you  to  read  in  the  Gazette  if  you  want  to  know 
the  truth  of  things— read  the  "View  of  Harmony."  The  Lab- 
yrinth has  not  been  destroyed,  but  it  has  been  neglected  as  of 
little  comparative  importance.  *  *  *  "What  are  the  hours  of 
business,  summer  and  winter?"  I  am  not  sure  about  the  working 
hours.  The  bell  rings  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  but  I  believe 
few  persons  go  to  work  till  the  eight  o'clock  bell  rings.  From  this 
hour  they  continue  till  the  12  o'clock  bell,  at  1  the  bell  again  rings 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  395 

• 

and  the  working  hours  continue  till  6  when  the  supper  bell  is  rung. 
There  is  no  job  work — i.e.  no  person  is  paid  by  the  job.  When 
jobs  are  done  in  any  department  for  country  people  or  strangers — 
the  superintendent  of  the  department  receives  the  cash  and  pays 
it  into  the  store,  and  the  department  (be  it  the  printing,  tailoring, 
shoemaking  &c  department)  is  credited  for  the  amount.  *  *  * 
The  "parade  ground  appropriated  by  law."  This  was  an  inad- 
vertance  of  mine — the  law  does  not  appropriate  any  parade  ground 
The  general  muster  is  held  at  a  place  five  or  six  miles  from  hence, 
and  all  our  military  marched  to  that  spot  on  the  day  appointed — 
this  was  what  I  ought  to  have  said.  Apropos — Our  Light  In- 
fantry Co.  &  some  other  companies  in  full  uniform  are  now, 
(Sundjay]  afternoon,)  parading  in  the  street  under  the  command 
of  their  Major  the  Revd.  Mr.  Jennings,  who  is  an  active  and  intelli- 
gent military  officer — He  preached  in  the  forenoon  in  the  Church, 
and  this  afternoon  appeared  on  horseback  in  his  military  dress  to 
exercise  the  troops.  The  L.  I.  Co.  make  a  good  appearance  being 
all  properly  armed,  accoutred,  and  uniformed,  they  number  about 
40  all  young  men.  *  *  * 

You  wd  probably  like  to  know  how  we  go  on  with  the  paper. 
I  therefore  add  to  this  long  letter  a  few  items  on  that  subject. 
On  the  20th  inst.  we  reconed  116  Subd.  in  town  at  $1,  the  members 
being  charged  only  half  price.  4  sent  to  the  Reading  Room.  2 
to  the  Tavern  and  1  to  the  Committee,  making  123  delivered  in 
town.  175  forwarded  by  mail  to  Sub.  and  Prs.  viz. 

Pennsylvania lls.  7  prs.  Conn Is.  1  pr. 

Indiana 27s.  5  prs.  Ill 20s.  1  pr. 

Kent'y 7s.  3  prs.  Maryl'd Is.  4  prs. 

Mass 3s.  1  pr.  Delaware Is.  1  pr. 

Missouri 3s.  Tennessee 4s. 

Maine Is. 

N.York 7s.  4 prs.  Scotl'd&Eng 6s.  1  pr. 

Ohio 15s.  14  prs.  Virg'a Is.  1  pr. 

D.  Col 8s.  4  prs.  N.  Jersey 2s.  1  pr. 

N.  Carol 1  pr.  Louisiana Is.  1  pr. 

Mississi Is.  Alabama Is. 

2  Reading  rooms  at  Cincinnati,  1  at  Louisville,  Alegheny  and  Y.  Springs 
associations  2,  total,  298.  Since  the  20  inst.,  15  new  subscribers  abroad 
have  been  added  to  the  list  &  every  mail  brings  some.  Papers  reed,  last 
Thursday  were : 

Reformer,  Crisis,  Ohio  Repub.  Nov.  2,  Niles  Reg.  Times,  Chillicothe, 
Ohio;  State  Jour.  Col.  Louisville  Advertr.,  Dayton  Repub.,  Vevay  Regr., 
Hamilton  Advocate,  Marietta  Friend,  Athens  Mirror,  Lancaster  O.  Eagle, 
with  a  request  fr  Mr.  Detrich  of  exch.  addressed  to  me,  Cleaveland  Herald, 


396  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

• 

Ind.  Repub.,  Madison,  Vincennes  W.  Sun,  Bait.  Gazette,  Bait.  Dutch  Paper, 
Delaw.  Watchman,  Wilmingtonian,  Alb.  Patriot,  Traveller  Boston,  these  are 
all  addressed  to  the  Gaz. — Cincinn  also  sends  us  Lib.  Hall  &  N.  Repub., 
Bloornington,  Ind.  Gazette,  Georgetown  Sentinal.  These  are  all  directed  to 
the  Gaz.  besides  which  the  followg.  directed  to  individual:  N.  Intell.,  N. 
Journal,  Wash.  Metropolitan,  Geo.  T.  Sat.  Evg.  Post,  Globe  and  Emerald, 
Boston  Cent,  U.  S.  Gaz.  daily. 

The  day  of  publication  is  changed  to  Wednesday  which  is  a 
more  convenient  time  than  Saturday.  News  is  a  secondary 
object,  the  first  being  to  disseminate  a  correct  knowledge  of  the 
principles,  practice,  and  local  affairs  of  this  Society.  Wm.  Owen 
appears  to  me  to  possess  a  better  knowledge  of  the  principles  than 
any  other  person  here,  and  his  pieces  are  therefore  the  most  inter- 
esting. His  2  articles  in  the  2  papers  No.  7  &  No.  8  preceding 
the  last  on  the  formation  of  character  are  peculiarly  so.  * 

I  wish  you  \\ould  frequently  insert  in  the  O.  Rep.  some  ex- 
tracts from  the  N.  H.  Gaz.  particularly  the  editorial  remarks  in 
No.  7  &  8  on  the  formation  of  character,  with  any  other  selections 
calculated  to  excite  the  minds  of  your  readers  to  the  exercise  of 
their  reasoning  faculties.  The  world  has  been  long  enough  and 
too  long  under  the  dominion  of  passion  and  prejudice,  and  it  is 
time  that  REASON  shd  have  fair  play.  Perhaps  while  I  think 
of  it,  I  cannot  give  you  a  more  striking  illustration  of  the  prin- 
ciples and  practice  of  this  Society  than  by  citing  Mr.  Schnee  as 
an  example,  he  is  Postmaster,  Committee-man,  Superintendent 
of  the  farms,  and  principle  agent  in  the  selling  department  of  the 
store,  and  yet  his  nominal,  allowance  in  money  is  81. o4  per  week 
for  all  his  services  put  together.  If  he  takes  a  boarder,  64  cents 
a  week  (it  has  lately  been  a  little  increased) —  is  added  to  his 
credit,  and  charged  to  the  boarder.  He  has  a  wife  and  two  or 
three  sons,  two  of  whom  are  capable  of  earning  something  which 
is  also  added  to  their  joint  credit  unless  they  choose  to  have 
,  separate  pass-books.  They  occupy  a  snug  dwelling  house,  yard 
and  garden,  and  find  their  allowance  sufficient  for  their  mainte- 
nance because  they  are  all  frugal  and  industrious.  If  they  were 
to  determine  on  a  removal,  their  pass-books  would  be  closely  and 
critically  examined  in  the  Committee.  If  it  appeared  that  they 
have  been  prudent  and  economical  and  a  balance  still  exists 
against  them  further  allowance  will  be  made,  so  as  to  balance  the 
acct,  on  the  principle  that  the  services  of  every  industrious, 
prudent  man  are  equal  to  the  necessary  expenses  of  his  living. 
If  on  the  contrary  it  should  appear  that  they  came  here  to  specu- 
late on  the  industry  of  others  by  running  in  debt  at  the  store  for 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  397 

articles  not  necessary  but  merely  to  accumulate  property  or  in- 
dulge idle  fancies,  whatever  balance  there  might  be  against  them 
would  be  rigidly  exacted  in  money  or  labor.  This  is  evidently  a 
just  and  necessary  precaution  against  subjecting  the  better  part 
of  the  society  to  the  impositions  of  scheming  speculators  who 
might  otherwise  come  here  with  the  view  of  staying  a  few  months, 
accumulating  property  at  the  expense  of  the  industrious  whom 
they  leave  behind  them  after  having  unworthily  enjoyed  all  the 
advantages  of  membership.  Some  cases  of  this  kind  have  occurred 
and  the  parties  have  gone  away,  highly  displeased  with  the 
Society,  because  they  were  disappointed  in  their  schemes  of 
plunder.  Others  have  withdrawn  because  their  sectarian  notions 
in  religion  were  not  prevalent  here— others  again,  because  their 
ambition  and  self-importance  were  not  estimated  according  to 
their  own  ideas — others  again  to  look  after  their  private  affairs, 
which  they  had  hastily  abandoned  in  their  eagerness  to  enjoy 
advantages  which  they  did  not  give  themselves  time  to  study  and 
understand.  Thus  you  see  that  the  Society  is  gradually  becom- 
ing a  SELECT  one,  fitted  to  the  purpose  originally  contemplated 
by  its  founder. 

In  the  case  of  Mr.  Schnee  which  I  have  cited  as  an  example 
of  the  operation  of  the  system,  you  must  not  imagine  that  he  is 
actuated  by  any  unworthy  motives;  for  his  devotion  to  the  system, 
and  high  standing  among  us  are  unquestionable.  He  is  one  of 
the  most  active,  intelligent,  and  useful  members,  and  is  perfectly 
happy  in  his  present  situation. 

Wednesday  evening. 

Two  of  the  Shakers  from  Kentucky  arrived  today  to  join  the 
Society,  I  suspect  they  will  not  be  able  to  find  lodgings,  and  will 
therefore  be  obliged  to  return,  or  go  somewhere  else. 

As  Mr.  S.  will  not  agree  to  reduce  the  postage  to  18|  I  have 
endeavored  to  give  you  25  cents  in  quantity  and  quality.  I  am 
sure  you  will  be  satisfied  with  the  former,  whatever  you  may 
think  of  the  latter. 

Friday  morning. 

*  *  *  The  Baltimore  Gaz.  reed,  yesterday  evg.  contains  an 
acct.  of  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Owen  and  his  son  Robert  Dale  Owen 
and  Capt.  McDonald.  They  are  impatiently  expected  here.— 
A  great  military  parade  yesterday  afternoon  and  a  splendid 
military  ball  in  the  evening  at  the  Hall. — A  great  number  of  stran- 


398  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

gers  in  town.     Weather  continues  fine,  though  somewhat  sharp 
this  morning.  Yr  truly  aff  father, 

Wm.  Pelham. 

New  Harmony, 
Dec.  9th,  1825. 
Friday  Evg.  8  o'clock. 
My  dear  William— 

*  *  *  The  last   mail   brought  forty  six  newspapers   for  the 
Gazette  with  4  or  5  new  applications  for  exchange.     In  some  of 
them    I    perceive    Mr.    O'S    [Owen's]    address   to    "Americans" 
written  on  his  passage.     Mr.  Wm.  Owen  also  reed,  a  letter  from 
his  father  dated  N.  York  Nov.  10  in  which  he  says  he  shall  be 
here  as  soon  as  possible.     By  the  tenor  of  the  address,  however, 
I  suspect  it  will  not  be  possible  until  he  has  spent  2  or  3  weeks 
at  Washington  City  in  erecting  the  model,  and  explaining  his 
System  to  the  Members  of  Congress.  *  *  * 

Your  truly  affectionate  father, 

Wm.  Pelham. 

December  27, 1825. 
Tuesday  Evening. 
My  Dear  Son. 

*  *  *  The  weather,  for  several  days,  has  been  so  cold  and  the 
days  so  short,  that  I  could  scarcely  do  more  than  make  out  a 
hasty  summary  for  the  paper,  and  keep  myself  tolerably  warm — 
I  long  for  the  return  of  warm,  pleasant  weather.     My  room, 
now  it  is  filled  in,  is  a  very  tolerable  winter  room,  it  was  pleasant 
enough  last  summer,  but  will  be  more  so  next  season.     Mr.  Owen 
has  not  yet  arrived,  though  expected  daily.     In  the  mean  time 
many  things  continue  unsettled,  and  must  remain  so  until  his 
return. 

For  the  last  three  weeks  we  have  heard  a  great  deal  about  a 
numerous  assemblage  of  Methodists  expected  in  this  place  on  the 
24th  &  25th  inst.  These  days  are  passed,  but  only  about  fifteen 
or  twenty  came,  including  one  preacher.  On  enquiring  of  one  of 
the  brethern  how  this  happened,  he  informed  me  that  a  report 
was  circulated  in  the  country  that  the  Committee  had  refused 
them  the  use  of  the  Church,  though  it  is  a  notorius  fact  that  the 
Committee  very  readily  granted  them  the  Church  for  the  exer- 
cise of  their  religious  worship.  This  is  a  specimen  of  the  means 
resorted  to,  in  order  to  injure  the  reputation  of  the  Harmonians. 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  399 

Facts  are  distorted  &  misrepresented,  and  when  facts  are  wanting 
for  this  purpose,  malevolent  ingenuity  can  easily  fabricate  them. 

Since  I  became  a  member  of  this  Community  I  have  uni- 
formly experienced  every  kindness  that  could  reasonably  be 
expected  under  the  circumstances  at  present  existing.  No  doubt 
there  is  much  inconvenience,  but  it  is  in  fact  unavoidable,  con- 
sidering the  hasty  manner  in  which  we  have  been  assembled. 
Time,  patience,  and  perseverance  will  gradually  remove  all 
difficulties.  It  is  supposed,  that  on  the  arrival  of  Rob.  D.  Owen 
(now  daily  expected)  the  boarding  school  will  be  the  first  object 
of  attention — that  it  will  be  reorganized  under  the  superinten- 
dence, with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Fiquepal,  Madam  Fretageot  & 
several  other  teachers  on  the  Pestalozzian  plan  &  we  shall  probably 
have  Neef  among  us. 

The  routine  of  duty  in  preparing  the  articles  for  the  paper  is 
still  unsettled,  and  will  probably  continue  so,  until  Mr.  Owen's 
arrival.  At  present,  it  is  thus;  Mr.  [Wm.]  O[wen]  &  Mr.  J[en- 
nings]  prepare  all  the  editorial  articles  &  decide  on  the  extracts 
to  be  made  from  the  papers  we  receive.  I  make  the  Summary  of 
news  &  submit  it  to  their  revision;  the  greater  part  of  which  is 
accepted,  &  some  rejected.  Mr.  Palmer  executes  the  mechanical 
part,  pretty  much  in  his  own  way.  The  summary  of  news, 
keeping  the  accounts  of  subscribers,  and  aiding  Mr.  P.  in  making 
up  the  mails  seems  to  have  fallen  to  my  share,  and,  during  the 
present  season,  is  full  as  much  as  I  want.  But  this  department, 
as  well  as  the  others  will  undergo  a  full  examination  when  Mr. 
O[wen]  arrives,  and  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  the 
management  of  the  library  will  be  committed  to  me,  which  I 
should  be  much  better  pleased  with.  It  is  said  that  Mr.  O[wen] 
has  shipped  for  New  Orleans 'a  large  collection  of  books  for  the 
contemplated  library. 

On  Sunday  last,  our  military  men  as  usual  were  paraded  before 
the  door  of  the  Tavern,  from  whence  they  marched  a  little  way 
out  of  town  for  the  purpose  of  drilling,  as  usual,  under  the  command 
of  Mr.  Jennings,  who  is  certainly  an  excellent  disciplinarian,  & 
well  acquainted  with  military  tactics.  This  drill  on  Sunday  will 
no  doubt  be  called  a  profanation  of  the  Sabbath,  as  all  other 
Sunday  Schools  are,  whether  they  be  literary,  or  military.  It  is 
at  least  evident  that,  if  a  Sunday  School  for  military  instruction 
is  a  profanation,  the  other  for  clerical  purposes  are  not  less  so. 


400  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Wednesday  Evg.-— 

The  regular  town  meeting  is  held  this  evening  to  hear  the 
weekly  proceedings  of  the  Committee  read,  according  to  custom. 
I  have  not  attended  one  of  these  meetings,  or  attended  the  Sunday 
lecture  since  the  cold  weather  set  in,  for  in  fact  I  cannot  risk  my 
health  so  far — still,  I  must  contrive  someway  or  other  to  hear 
Mr.  Owen  when  he  returns.  He  will  have  some  errors  to  correct, 
and  many  things  to  adjust.  Among  others,  the  affairs  of  the 
printing  office,  I  hope  I  shall  then  have  some  specific  duty  assigned 
to  me,  for  the  present,  unsettled  state  of  things  is  very  unpleasant 
to  me.  It  seems  to  be  the  unanimous  sense  of  the  Comee.  that  the 
library  shall  be  my  destination,  than  which  nothing  cd  be  more 
agreeable  to  me — but  as  yet  we  have  no  books.  Mr.  Wm.  O[wen] 
told  me  this  evening  that  his  father  has  shipped  at  N.  York  a 
valuable  collection  which  will  be  here  via  New  Orleans  about  the 
middle  of  Feb.  (he  thinks)  but  I  do  not  expect  to  see  them  till 
April.  I  shd  be  glad  if  the  books  you  have  packed  up  cd  be  here 
about  the  same  time. 

Thursday  Evg.  Dec.  29,— 6  P.  M. 

I  have  just  reed,  your  paper  of  Deer.  10th  with  Niles  Reg.  of 
the  3rd. — This  mail  brot  2  letters  from  Wm.  Blagrove,  one  of 
which  contained  a  list  of  11  subscribers  he  had  obtained  in  New 
York.  He  is  delighted  with  the  System  and  severely  regrets  that 
his  entanglements  with  Old  Society  prevents  his  enjoying  the 
benefits  of  it — as  yet — Mr.  Jennings  lately  said  that  he  was  per- 
suaded, if  he  were  sent  as  a  Missionary  abroad,  he  would  soon 
collect  30,000  persons  desirous  of  joining  the  Society  &  really,  I 
think  he  would  come  near  the  mark.  I  have  just  heard  that  the 
Yellow  Spring  association  has  "blown  out."  I  am  not  surprised 
at  this  for  on  its  commencement  I  anticipated  a  blundering 
business,  as  John  Sheward  will  testify.  When  we  talked  of  that 
place,  I  constantly  said  "I  will  go  to  Head  Quarters."  Sheward 
will  confirm  this  altho  he  cd  not  then  coincide  with  me. 

Mr.  Owen  has  not  yet  arrived,  but  we  have  certain  accounts 
of  his  being  on  the  road. — You  can  hardly  conceive  the  impatience 
with  which  he  is  expected.  I  just  think  of  mentioning  that  we 
have  very  few  old  men — there  is  only  one  man  here  older  than  my- 
self, Mr.  Lewis,  the  Secretary,  is  about  fifty,  lively  and  active.  Dr. 
McNamee,  about  the  same  age,  Mr.  Bosson  abt  35,  Mr.  Schnee 
perhaps  the  same,  Mr.  Jennings  I  should  think  30 — Judge  Wattles 
30,  Wm.  Owen  probably  25,  but  in  education,  experience  &  general 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  401 

knowledge  not  less  than  35.     Still  we  are  much  in  want  of  farmers, 
mechanics  and  laborers. 

New  Harmony,  Ind.  Jan.  6,  1826. 

Friday  Afternoon 
My  dear  Son, 

Yesterday  evening  I  reed  your  acceptable  favor  of  Dec.  18th 
with  the  O.  Repub.  of  the  17th.  It  seems  you  are  puzzles  about 
our  mails, — and  so  am  I. — Mr.  Schnee  told  me  a  few  days  ago 
that  letters  and  papers  arrive  sooner  here  when  they  come  via 
Vincennes!  than  by  any  other  route,  altho'  Vincennes  appears  to 
be  abt  55  miles  out  of  the  direct  way — he  told  me  yesterday 
eveng  that  since  the  P.  O.  at  Lancaster  had  become  a  distributing 
office  the  packet  for  Harmony  is  now  made  up  there  instead  of 
Louisville  as  heretofore.  *  *  * 

Mails  again.  Our  Eastern  mail  carries  all  letters  &  papers 
directed  to  Princeton,  Ind.  Vincennes — Paoli — &  Evansville,  all 
along  this  side  of  the  river  to  Albany,  where  it  crosses  to  Louis- 
ville. The  E.  Package  contains  also  letters  to  a  large  portion  of 
Kentucky  as  well  as  all  places  eastward.  The  western  mail  goes 
to  Mt.  Vernon  crosses  the  Ohio  &  proceeds  to  the  Western  part 
of  Ky.  a  great  part  of  Illinois,  all  Tennessee  &c. 

*  *  You  tell  me  Mr.  Mills  is  preparing  to  go  down  the  river 
in  the  spring,  I  shd  be  truly  gratified  to  see  him  on  his  way,  and 
I  do  not  see  any  great  difficulty — he  can  take  passage  in  the  steam 
boat  from  Cincinn.  to  Louisville,  thence  to  Mt.  Vernon,  land 
there  &  easily  get  a  conveyance  to  N.  Harmony — stay  here  as 
long  as  convenient — return  to  Mt.  Vernon  where  steamboats  are 
continually  passing  up  &  down  the  river  as  long  as  the  water  is 
high  enough.  I  pray  you  to  present  my  kind  remembrance  to 
him  &  Mrs.  Mills. 

If  the  Society  has  been  injured  by  the  withdrawing  of  some  who 
did  not  know  what  they  were  about  when  they  joined  it,  the 
injury  cannot  be  very  extensive,  for  the  principles  supported 
here  are  daily  becoming  more  &  more  known  &  applications  for 
admission  are  still  more  numerous  than  is  desirable  for  the  Com- 
mittee until  better  accommodations  can  be  provided.  There  is 
no-  fear  of  the  Society  being  dissolved  for  the  want  of  persons 
heartily  disposed  to  join  us — the  only  difficulty  is  house  room 
but  this  I  know  will  be  removed  in  a  great  measure  during  the  next 
spring,  summer,  &  autumn.  You  seem  very  desirous  that  Master 
Hill  shd  accompany  you — will  he  be  contented  to  lodge  on  the 

T— 26 


402  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA 

floor  of  my  little  room  with  you  &  myself?  Danl  Person  will  pay 
us  a  visit  &  I  must  endeavor  to  find  some  sort  of  lodging  for  him 
also.  However,  what  is  impracticable  in  this  way  during  the 
cold  season  may  not  even  be  difficult  in  warm  weather. 

I  find  you  have  noticed  "Pumpkin  Vine."  He  is  our  Tavern 
keeper,  and  a  queer  chap  he  is,  forever  amusing  himself  and  others 
with  odd,  biting,  cutting  remarks  on  the  missionary  begging 
scheme — the  Bible  &  tract  speculations  of  the  clergy,  &c  &c  &c — 

I  might  perhaps  be  able  to  fill  this  sheet  without  fatiguing  you, 
if  I  had  the  time,  but  I  must  hasten  to  a  close,  otherwise  it  cannot 
be  sent  by  this  mail. 

Why  does  not  Mr.  Peters  send  us  some  subscribers?  I  am 
afraid.he  does  not  bestir  himself  as  some  other  of  our  agents  do. 
Wm.  Blagrove  lately  sent  us  12  at  a  slap — &  promised  some  20 
or  30  more,  all  for  No.  1. — No.  1  however  is  exhausted  &  there- 
fore we  were  obliged  to  commence  with  No.  2. — No  7  is  also  out 
but  there  is  some  talk  of  reprinting  both  nos — and  the  prospectus 
also  for  a  subscription  paper,  for  which  applications  are  made  by 
every  mail. 

My  dear  Son — accept  my  tender  &  affectionate  embrace. 

Wm.  Pelham. 

Sunday  afternoon,  Jan.  8  1826. 
My  dear  William. 

On  Friday  last,  I  wrote  you  as  long  a  letter  as  my  time  & 
engagements  would  permit  &  now  I  commence  another  in  season, 
that  I  may  have  time  to  answer  every  point  contained  in  yours 
of  Deer.  11-18  which  I  may  have  overlooked. 

You  cannot  reconcile  the  apparent  contradiction  between 
Mr.  Owen's  advertising  for  so  many  mechanics,  and  the  Com- 
mittee's rejecting  applications  for  admission  for  want  of  room 
I  will  endeavor  to  explain  it.  On  Mr.  Owen's  arrival  at  New 
York,  the  first  news  he  heard  of  this  place  was  that  the  settlement 
was  broke  up,  and  the  members  dispersed.  Instead  of  this  dis- 
couraging or  disheartening  him,  the  first  thing  he  set  about  was 
to  replenish  the  settlement  with  the  population  of  the  most  use- 
ful kind,  cost  what  it  might.  It  was  obvious,  however,  that  before 
this  could  be  done,  the  spring  would  be  far  advanced,  and  shifts 
might  be  made  for  lodging,  which  would  be  impracticable  during 
the  rigor  of  winter. 

Monday  afternoon.  When  I  had  got  thus  far  in  my  letter 
3*esterday,  two  of  my  friends  called  in  to  see  me,  and  we  sat  in  my 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  403 

i 

little  "garrett"  without  a  fire — (the  weather  now  being  uncom- 
monly, and  unseasonably  warm)  conversing  till  nearly  dark, 
when  they  left  me  &  I  repaired  to  Dr.  McNamee's  by  previous 
invitation  to  supper.  Here  I  found  Mr.  Lewis,  Mr.  Wm.  Owen  & 
a  Mr.  Atlee  from  Philadelphia,  besides  the  Dr.  &  3  or  4  ladies, 
besides  the  good  lady  of  the  house  &  her  2  daughters.  The  table 
was  covered  with  a  profusion  of  delicacies,  excellent  coffee,  tea, 
cream,  honey,  sweetmeats,  ham,  sausage,  &c  &c  in  abundance — 
But  I  would  not  have  you  infer  that  this  good  cheer  is  found  in 
every  family  in  New  Harmony,- — the  time  has  not  yet  arrived 
when  all  the  members  are  to  fare  alike — though  I  really  believe 
this  will  be  the  case  in  the  new  Community.  In  the  meantime, 
contentment  sweetens  the  cup  of  life,  whatever  it  may  contain. 
Now  do  not  run  to  the  other  extreme,  and  imagine  we  are  starved 
for  this  is  not  true,  tho  our  privations  are  sometimes  such  as  to 
test  the  strength  of  our  principles.  *  *  * 

After  the  enjoyment  of  a  pleasant  evening  I  came  home  about 
9  o'clock  &  soon  after  went  to  bed. 

I  never  see  the  Philadelphia  Gaz.  but  from  a  humorous  ex- 
tract which  will  appear  in  our  next  gazette,  I  should  judge  that  it 
was  not  decidedly  hostile.  The  Sat.  Ev.  Post  comes  regularly 
to  us,  According  to  your  suggestion,  I  shall  offer  an  exchange  to 
the  Western  Carrier,  Ravenna,  O.  *  *  * 

You  make  me  laugh  when  you  talk  about  "Pone  Bread,  & 
Musquetoes."  The  good  book  saith,  "better  is  a  crust  of  bread 
with  contentment  of  mind,  than  the  most  sumptous  fare  where 
there  is  no  love."  I  know  I  have  not  quoted  exactly,  but  I  have 
no  bible  at  hand.  Apropos;  Do  not  forget  to  send  me  our  family 
4to  bible.  Pone  Bread  &  Musquetoes!  How  wonderfully 
efficient  these  will  be  in  defeating  the  most  feasible  plan  for  im- 
proving the  condition  of  mankind  that  was  ever  devised. 

Mr.  Hill  seems  uncertain  whether  he  will  visit  us  or  not.  I 
hope  you  are  not  so,  for  I  shall  be  truly  disappointed,  &  grieved  if 
you  do  not  come.  This  expectation  has  a  considerable  share  in 
keeping  up  my  spirit — another  source  of  comfort  to  me  has  been 
the  uniform  kindness  of  your  expressions  and  the  cheerful  tone  of 
your  letters.  *  *  * 

On  looking  over  the  list  of  articles  (Nov.  7)  packed  up  in  the 
trunk,  I  perceive  "Book  for  Map  of  the  World —  &  U.  S."  I  hope 
you  will  contrive  to  send  me  the  large  maps  to  which  they  refer.— 
I  see  also  that  [you]  have  already  packed  up  the  Family  Bible. 
The  map  belonging  to  Lewis  &  Clark  is  in  a  red  leather  8to  book 


404  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

4 

cover  somewhere  about  the  book  shelves. — I  had  scarcely  written 
the  last  word  "shelves"  when  Mr.  Palmer's  young  man  brot  me 
a  proof  of  the  outside  of  our  next  paper  (i.  e. — pages  1st,  4,  5  &  8th.) 
to  be  corrected.  It  contains  some  excellent  matter — especially 
the  "Gray  Light  No.  4"  on  the  "Origin  of  evil;"  a  subject  which 
has  always  puzzled  the  wisest  heads  in  the  world.  There  is  like- 
wise a  good  letter  signed  "A  Christian."  I  know  not  who  is  the 
writer  of  the  letter,  tho'  I  might  know  if  I  thought  it  worth  the 
trouble  of  enquiring.  The  Grey  Light  is  a  communication  from 
N.  York  by  mail — I  wish  you  would  occasionally  make  extracts 
from  our  Gazette  &  especially  the  2  Nos.  of  the  "Grey  Light."  *  *  * 

I  am  at  present,  as  I  have  been,  a  boarder  (now  at  64  cents  a 
week)  with  my  old  friends  the  young  baker,  22  years  of  age,  &  his 
young  wife,  about  20,  where  I  am  as  comfortably  situated  with  re- 
gard to  diet  as  cd  reasonably  be  expected.  Their  house  is  situated 
on  the  main  street,  about  200  yards  from  my  lodging.  We  have 
no  occasion  to  be  governed  by  the  ringing  of  the  bell  for  meals, 
but  I  find  it  convenient  for  us  all  to  take  our  breakfast  at  8 — our 
dinner  at  |  past  12  &  our  supper  at  dark.  They  have  been  uni- 
formly kind,  &  attentive  to  my  convenience,  &  I  believe  we  are 
mutually  pleased  with  each  other.  *  *  * 

We  have  heard  nothing  yet  from  Mr.  Ofwen] — the  word  how- 
ever now  is,  that  the  river  havg  risen  considerably  we  shall  hear 
his  voice  in  the  Steeple  house  next  Sunday. 

The  weather  continues  so  warm  that  I  have  taken  off 
two  blankets  from  my  bed.  You  may  tell  Mr.  Harris  that  the 
Doctor's  sick  list  contains  about  20  names — and  he  will  observe 
that  is  a  much  greater  number  than  ever  were  sick  at  the  same  time 
in  Zanesville  or  any  where  else  except  Harmony. — The  force  of 
prejudice  is  astonishing  to  those  who  have  never  attended  to  its 
effect  on  mental  vision.  I  have  lately  reed,  from  Neef  a  curious 
letter  on  this  subject.— 

Wednesday  morng.  The  weather  continues  uncommonly 
warm,  we  have  scarcely  seen  the  face  of  the  Sun  for  the  last  6  or 
7  .days, — the  thermometer  on  Monday  morn  stood  at  61 —  and 
judging  by  my  feelings  it  is  about  the  same  now.  A  good  deal 
of  rain  has  fallen — but  the  ground  is  now  dry  tho'  the  sky  con- 
tinues cloudy? — If  this  warm  weather  continues  much  longer 
we  may  expect  to  hear  some  musqueto  music. 

Wed.  evg. — The  weather  has  changed,  and  we  have  again 
enjoyed  the  splendid  light  of  the  sun — the  evening  is  clear  &  the 
sky  again  presents  a  brilliant  assemblage  of  stars.  This  is  the 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  405 

evening  on  which  our  town  meetings  are  weekly  held,  but  they 
ceased  to  interest  me  as  soon  as  the  cold  weather  commenced.  I 
prefer  sitting  here  in  my  comfortable  little  room,  and  scribbling 
what  may,  or  perhaps  may  not  interest  you.  The  report  today 
was  that  Mr.  Owen  was  actually  seen  yesterday  at  Mt.  Vernon 
with  a  company  of  32  persons  on  their  way  to  Harmony.  "A 
plague  on  all  liars"  say  I — for  if  this  had  been  true  he  would 
have  been  here  by  noon  this  day.  *  *  * 

Upon  looking  over  my  pass-book  just  now  I  find  a  balance  of 
S24.29  in  my  favor. — From  this  must  be  deducted  the  charge 
against  me  for  washing,  at  the  rate  of  16  cents  a  doz.  and  for 
postage,  since  my  franking  privilege  ceased. 

Thursday  noon.  The  weather  has  again  become  sharp,  cold 
and  clear,  and  the  glorious  sun  shines  out  most  brilliantly — No 
news  of  Mr.  O[wen]  yet. 

Friday  morng.  Cloudy  again  with  rain  &  thunder! — I  have 
the  pleasure  of  saying  that  Mr.  O[wen]  is  here — he  arrived  yester- 
day evg.  accompanied  only  by  a  Russian  lady  whom  he  acci- 
dently  found  somewhere  below  Stubenville  on  her  way  to  New 
Harmony.  An  assembly  of  almost  the  whole  population  met 
in  the  Steeple  house  about  7  o'clock — Mr.  O[wen]  entered  &  taking 
his  stand  in  the  pulpit  expressed  the  pleasure  and  joy  he  felt  to 
be  among  us.  I  have  not  time  to  give  you  a  sketch  of  his  dis- 
course which  he  soon  closed.  He  earnestly  recommended  Unity 
&  brotherly  love.  He  said  that  he  had  left  his  company  behind 
proceeding  in  a  boat  which  contained  more  learning  than  ever  was 
before  contained  in  a  boat.  He  did  not  mean  Latin  &  Greek  & 
other  languages  but  real  substantial  knowledge.  It  contained 
some  of  the  ablest  instructors  of  youth  that  cd  be  found  in  the 
U.  S.  or  perhaps  in  the  world.  I  was  pleased  with  his  manner 
as  well  as  his  matter.  I  have  not  yet  been  introduced  to  him, 
preferring  to  wait  till  the  bustle  is  over.  He  is  to  give  a  lecture 
next  Sunday  in  the  forenoon.  In  noticing  his  passing  through 
Z.  you  do  not  say  (in  the  O.  Republic)  that  he  gave  a  lecture. 
I  hope,  however,  you  saw  and  spoke  to  him. 

Your  truly  affectionate  father, 

Wm.  Pelham. 

N.  Harmony,  Friday  Jan.  27,  1826. 
My  dear  Son, 

Yesterday  evening  I  reed  your  acceptable  letter  of  Jan.  8 
with  2  Ravenna  Papers  but  no  O.  Repub.  At  the  same  time  I 


406  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

reed,  your  long  looked  for  letter  of  the  31st  Oct!!  which  appears 
to  have  been  missent  to  Peoria  111.  and  forwarded  from  thence  on 
the!2thinst.  *  *  * 

When  I  commenced  writing  this  I  intended,  if  possible  to.  fill 
the  sheet  but  I  now  begin  to  suspect  it  will  not  be  in  my  power, 
for  I  have  at  this  moment  4  visotors  in  my  room,  talking  to  me 
and  to  one  another  about  the  New  Constitution  which  is  about  to 
be  formed.  As  soon  as  this  is  accomplished  this  preliminary 
Society  will  be  dissolved  and  we  shall  immediately  commence  a 
Cummunity  of  Equality  &  mutual  cooperation.  I  would  willingly 
give  you  some  account  of  the  proceedings  which  have  already 
taken  place  with  this  view.  Since  his  return  Mr.  Owen  has  de- 
livered frequent  lectures,  and  yesterday  evening  a  committee  of 
7  was  chosen  by  ballot  to  draw  up  a  Constitution  and  a  set  of 
Rules  &  Regulations  to  be  submitted  to  the  Members  of  the  present 
Society,  article  by  article.  Some  of  my  friends  thought  proper 
to  run  me  for  this  committee,  and  I  received  44  purely  unsolicited 
votes — the  highest  number  for  any  person  was  136 — (Mr.  Owen 
himself) —  and  the  lowest  successful  number  of  votes  was  63. 
In  fact  I  did  not  know  (&  cared  not  at  all) —  that  my  name  was 
thought  of,  till  yesterday  about  noon  &  I  assure  you  I  speak 
sincerely  in  saying  that  I  am  glad  that  the  number  of  votes  in 
favor  of  electing  me  did  not  reach  the  point  of  election.  I  was 
by  no  means  desirous  of  being  placed  in  the  Committee.  As 
soon  as  things  are  settled  I  will  write  you  an  acct.  of  them,  unless 
I  shall  have  the  supreme  satisfaction  of  seeing  you  here.  Since 
the  rect.  of  your  letters  I  have  had  no  time  to  read  them  attentive- 
ly, &  my  chief  purpose  in  writing  this  is  to  inform  you  of  their 
coming  to  hand. 

Wednesday  night  10  o'clock. 

Since  the  date  of  the  above  I  have  been  so  constantly  occupied 
that  I  have  had  no  opportunity  of  continuing  my  journal  for  your 
information.  Besides  the  weather  has  been  so  cold,  that  a  great 
part  of  my  time  has  been  consumed  in  protecting  myself  against 
its  effects.  This  day  however,  it  has  moderated  considerably  & 
I  am  now  sitting  in  my  room  scribbling  what  I  think  may  be 
interesting  to  you. 

This  evening  was  appointed  to  report  the  draft  of  the  Con- 
stitution prepared  by  the  Committee  appointed  for  that  purpose. 
It  is  in  print  &  I  shall  enclose  a  copy  in  the  Gazette  directed  to 
the  Ohio  Repub.  But  you  are  to  consider  it  as  a  proposal  only 
not  yet  acted  upon  by  the  Society.  A  plan  of  Arrangement  of 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  407 

the  affairs  of  the  Society  was  also  presented  to  the  meeting  and 
ordered  to  be  printed.  If  this  be  done  in  time  I  will  also  enclose 
that.  The  more  I  see  of  Mr.  Owen  the  more  I  am  convinced  of 
his  prudence,  wisdom,  integrity  and  enlarged  benevolence.  The 
purity  of  his  views  is  unquestionable,  whatever  may  be  said  by  the 
enemies  of  the  Xew  Social  System.  Every  article  of  this  Con- 
stitution is  to  undergo  a  thorough  investigation  in  a  public 
assembly  of  the  Society  when  the  utmost  freedom  of  speech  is  not 
only  tolerated  but  solicited  and  encouraged.  Young  and  old  are 
equally  invited  to  express  their  sentiments,  and  the  common 
sense  &  common  feeling  of  the  Society  decide  on  their  propriety. 
This  is  a  delightful  state  of  society,  and  such  as  I  have  long  enter- 
tained in  idea,  but  never  expected  to  see  realized.  It  will  yet 
be  some  time,  perhaps  a  week  or  two  before  the  Society  will  be 
able  finally  to  determine  on  their  constitution  &  code  of  laws. 

The  persons  who  have  lately  arrived  are  Mr.  Wm.  Maclure  of 
Philad.  reputed  to  be  immensely  rich,  and  certainly  devoted  to  the 
principles  of  this  Society.  I  have  had  several  interviews  and 
conversations  with  him  and  his  manners  and  sentiments  are  in 
direct  opposition  to  those  of  all  other  wealthy  men  of  whom  I  have 
any  knowledge,  excepting  only  Mr.  Owen  himself.  Besides  him 
we  have  Mr.  Fiquepal  &  Madam  Fretageot,  both  Pezzalozzian 
teachers, — Mr.  LeSueur  an  eminent  designer,  Mr.  Say,  Dr. 
Troost,  a  distinguished  mineralogist — and  several  other  men  of 
Science.  Mr.  MaClure  has  put  into  my  hands  a  catalogue  of 
French  books  and  philosophical  apparatus  now  at  New  Orleans 
on  their  way  to  this  place  amounting  in  value  to  100,000  francs 
and  weighing  abt  50  tons.  He  wished  me  to  make  a  fair  transcript 
of  the  invoice  in  a  book  he  had  provided  for  the  purpose.  I  shall 
find  some  difficulty  in  doing  this  for  want  of  a  good  French  dic- 
tionary— but  I  will  accomplish  it. 

Thursday  Forenoon. 

By  the  last  mail  I  reed,  a  letter  from  Neef, — he  is  anxious  to 
be  among  us,  but  cannot  yet  bring  matters  to  bear — Mr.  MaClure 
told  me  yesterday  that  he  wrote  to  him  by  the  last  mail,  urging 
him  to  come  on  immediately  whether  he  brings  his  family  and 
movable  property  or  not,  and  in  the  latter  case  to  make  arrange- 
ments for  their  following  him,  for  that  he  was  already  a  Member. 
This  letter  of  Mr.  MaClure's  I  expect  will  settle  his  mind,  and  we 
shall  probably  see  him  in  a  week  or  two. 

The  plan  of  the  proposed  Constitution  is  in  the  hands  of  all 
the  members,  and  will  undergo  a  thorough  investigation.  My 


408  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

mind  during  the  last  two  weeks  has  been  in  a  state  of  such  con- 
stant excitement,  as  to  be  painful,  and  this  you  will  easily  conceive 
when  you  consider  how  inactive  both  in  mind  and  body  I  have 
long  been  previous  to  my  coming  hither.  I  feel  now  that  I  want 
quietness  and  rest,  and  I  scarcely  expect  any,  until  I  am  appointed 
Librarian  which  will  in  all  probability  be  my  permanent  occu- 
pation. Mr.  Owen  and  all  the  members  of  the  Committee,  be- 
sides a  considerable  part  of  the  population  appear  to  think  ni3 
most  fitted  for  such  employment,  and  it  exactly  squares  with  my 
own  inclination. 

The  bell  is  now  ringing  for  dinner,  immediately  after  which  I 
must  go  the  Printing  Office  &  assist  Mr.  Palmer  in  making  up  at 
least  300  papers  to  be  sent  by  mail.  If  I  have  the  oppy.  of  making 
any  addition  to  this  letter  I  will  embrace  it,  but  I  rather  think  it 
will  not  be  in  my  power.  The  warm  weather  will  soon  return  & 
I  anxiously  hope  it  will  bring  you  along. — 

Thursday  night.  I  have  just  inclosed  in  a  wrapper  seperate 
from  the  usual  inclosure  which  Mr.  Palmer  directed  to  the  "Ohio 
Repub.  Zanesville,  O."  a  duplicate  No.  19  of  the  Gazette  with  the 
proposed  Constitution  &  Plan  of  Arrangement. 

These  are  busy  times.  Meetings  are  held  almost  every  night 
in  the  Steeple  House;  and  at  the  farthest  every  second  night  the 
bell  is  rung  at  ^  past  6  and  at  7  no  vacant  seat  can  be  found.— 
I  have  hitherto  attended  them  all —  but  this  evening  I  shall  take 
my  rest,  as  I  expect  the  business  will  chiefly  be  some  verbal 
criticisms  on  the  Constitution  and  proposals  to  amend  the  phrase- 
ology— Everyone  gives  his  sentiments  freely,  and  it  is  really 
remarkable  that  so  little  uninteresting  matter  is  brought  forward. 
Some  of  our  mechanics  are  truly  eloquent,  and  none  absurd. 
It  would  be  no  amusement  to  you  if  I  were  to  give  you  my  crude 
remarks  on  the  proposed  constitution,  for  I  have  not  had  time 
to  read  it  attentively, — but  I  certainly  do  anticipate  some  con- 
siderable alterations  in  the  style  of  it. — Several  other  drafts  will 
be  offered  to  the  consideration  of  the  Society  and  which  of  them 
will  ultimately  be  preferred,  it  is  impossible  at  present  to  say. 

It  is  now  between  8  &  9  &  I  shall  go  directly  to  bed — so,  good 
night,  my  dear  boy,  &  let  me  still  cherish  the  hope  of  seeing  you 
here  when  the  season  is  favorable. 

Wednesday  Feb.  8",  1826. 
My  dear  Son, 

The  Constitution,  of  which  I  sent  you  a  printed  sketch,  has 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  409 

undergone  a  thorough  examination  and  discussion;  and  was 
recommitted  to  the  Constitutional  Committee  who  again  reported 
it,  with  considerable  alterations  and  amendments.  After  these 
were  fully  discussed,  and  some  further  amendments  made  the 
Society  finally  adopted  a  Constitution,  which  would  have  ap- 
peared in  this  day's  paper,  if  it  could  have  been  prepared  in  season. 
There  being  no  printed  copy,  I  cannot  present  you  with  the  articles. 
It  has  been  transcribed  into  a  book,  and  300  names  have  already 
been  subscribed  to  it.  There  will  be  very  few,  if  any  dissentients 
among  the  members  of  the  Preliminary  Society. 

This  evening  is  appointed  for  the  election  of  three  important 
officers,  viz.  Secretary,  Treasurer  &  Commissary,  and  it  is  ex- 
pected that  the  organization  of  the  Community  will  be  completed 
next  week.  Every  department  will  be  arranged  so  as  to  produce 
a  united  effort  to  furnish  every  practicable  means  of  comfortable 
subsistence  to  every  individual.  Hitherto,  there  has  been  much 
irregularity  of  effort,  the  consequence  of  which  nearly  paralyzed 
the  energies  of  the  population,  but  at  length  I  see  the  way  clear, 
and  I  see  the  utter  impossibility  of  such  a  state  of  things  again 
recurring.  The  several  parts  of  the  great  machine  will  be  so  ad- 
mirably adapted  to  each  other,  as  to  effect  the  most  valuable 
purposes.  The  experience  I  have  gained  convinces  me  I  was  right 
in  coming  here,  in  preference  to  going  to  any  of  the  Communities 
professedly  formed  on  Mr.  Owen's  principles'  in^  other  parts  of 
the  country.  During  the  last  8  months  the  want  of  organization 
and  arrangement  has  caused  much  perplexity  and  difficulty,  and 
the  introduction  now  of  order  and  regularity  into  the  several 
departments  will  be  comparatively  easy.  I  anticipate  that  in  6 
months  the  New  Harmony  machine  will  go  like  a  piece  of  clock 
work.  The  proceeding  errors  are  noted  and  will  be  avoided. 
In  consequence  of  the  great  change  which  has  been  just  made, 
I  should  not  be  surprised  to  see  it  announced  in  some  of  the 
Eastern  papers,  with  great  glee  that  Mr.  Owen's  visionary  project 
on  the  banks  of  the  Wabash  has  utterly  failed,  &c  &c.  tho  nothing 
can  be  further  from  the  truth — for  in  reality  one  third  of  it  is 
accomplished —  and  we  are  just  entering  on  the  second  3d  and  the 
next  step — (when  we  are  prepared  for  it)  will  be  into  the  Village 
of  Equality  and  Independence.  He  is  an  extraordinary  man— 
a  wonderful  man — such  a  one  indeed  as  the  world  has  never 
bafore  seen.  His  wisdom,  his  comprehensive  mind,  his  practical 
knowledge,  but  above  all,  his  openness,  candor  &  sincerity,  have 
no  parallel  in  ancient  or  modern  history.  Do  not  think  I  am 


410  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

dreaming,  for  in  fact,  I  have  closely  attended  to  his  language  and 
movements  since  his  return. 

I  earnestly  expect  to  see  you  here  early  in  the  spring  when  you 
will  have  opportunity  of  seeing,  of  hearing  &  judging  for  your- 
self. There  is  now  here  a  young  married  man  from  a  distant 
part  of  this  State.  He  came  about  a  month  ago  and  has  resided 
at  the  Tavern  at  the  expense  of  3  dollars  a  week  for  himself  and 
his  horse.  He  has  felt  so  deeply  interested  in  the  measures 
preparatory  to  the  formation  of  the  New  Community  that  he 
could  quit  us  until  he  saw  its  accomplishment.  We  have  spent 
a  good  deal  of  time  together  &  I  expect  he  will  shortly  set  out  on 
his  return  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  his  wife  &  child  &  4  other 
families  who  will  accompany  him,  if  he  can  obtain  a  previous 
assurance  that  they  will  be  received. 

Thursday  afternoon. — The  election  was  not  held  yesterday 
evening,  as  I  had  expected  it  would  be.  It  will  probably  take 
place  this  evening.  It  is  generally  thought  that  Mr.  Lewis  will 
be  Secretary,  and  Wm.  Owen  Treasurer,  the  Commissary  is  rather 
more  doubtful. 

There  is — Thursday  night — I  have  been  to  the  P.  0.  and  got 
the  O.  Repub.  of  Jany.  21,  with  letters  from  Col.  Chambers, 
Mr.  Harris  and  Mr.  Neef  &  none  from  yourself.  There  seems  to 
be  a  great  improvement  in  the  expedition  of  the  mail.  Col.  C's 
letter  is  dated  Jan.  22d  &  Mr.  Harris'  is  dated  24th.  Tho  after 
all  it  seems  to  require  12  or  14  days  to  come  fr.  Z.  to  H.  Neef's  let- 
ter bears  the  postmark  of  Louisville  Jan.  30".  By  the  bye,  do 
not  omit  to  call  at  the  P.  O.  in  Louisville  on  your  way  hither. 
You  will  probably  find  a  letter  there  tho  I  am  not  certain.  If  you 
can  contrive  to  see  Mr.  Neef  he  would  be  most  happy  to  meet 
with  you.  He  has  a  daughter  in  Louisville  whom  you  may.  find  by 
enquiring  of  my  friend  Mr.  Taylor,  the  Post  Office  Clerk.  Tell 
Col.  Chambers  I  will  not  fail  to  answer  all  his  inquiries  as  soon  as 
possible,  but  he  must  not  be  impatient,  for  these  are  busy  times 
for  every  one  in  New  Harmony.  If  he  will  have  patience  till 
warm  weather  I  shall  better  be  able  to  satisfy  him.  The  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Convention  in  forming  the  Community  Constitu- 
tion with  the  Constitution  itself  will  be  in  the  next  paper  and  I 
will  send  him  a  copy.  I  think  I  informed  you,  and  I  wish  you 
would  mention  to  Col.  Chambers  &  Mr.  Harris  that  soon  after 
Mr.  Owen's  return  he  was  followed  by  his  son  Robert  Dale  Owen, 
Dr.  Price  &  Mr.  Wm.  MaClure  of  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Whitwell, 
Mr.  LeSueur,  Mr.  Say,  all  men  of  extensive  scientific  knowledge, 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  411 

Mr.  Fiquepal  and  Madam  Fretageot  first  rate  teachers  on  the 
Pestalozzian  plan.  There  are  now  at  New  Orleans  on  their  way 
hither  a  vast  collection  of  books,  philosophical  apparatus  &  musical 
instruments  weighing,  up  wards  of  50  tons  &  the  freight  of  which 
will  cost  10  to  1200  dollars.  In  Harmony  there  will  be  the  best 
Library  &  the  best  School  in  the  United  States. 

10  O'clock  P.  M. — The  election  is  again  postponed  till  to- 
morrow evening,  to  give  further  time  for  the  members  to  form 
their  judgment.  My  own,  indeed,  is  already  formed,  and  I 
earnestly  hope  the  election  may  fall  on  Mr.  Lewis,  Wm.  Owen, 
and  Richardson  Whitby,  who  came  here  from  a  society  of  shakers 
in  Kentucky,  and  brought  with  him  a  practical  knowledge  of  the 
order  and  regularity,  and  system,  by  which  that  society  has 
distinguished  itself.  This  is  an  anxious  time, — (not  with  a  view 
to  a  final  success  and  of  our  principles,  which  must  infalliably 
succeed  sooner  or  later)  but  with  a  view  to  the  speedy  accom- 
plishment of  the  purposes  for  which  we  are  associated.  It  is 
therefore  important  that  our  first  selection  of  agents  be  made  with 
the  greatest  circumspection,  and  due  appreciation  of  the  qualifica- 
tions of  the  persons  choosen  to  carry  into  effect  the  principles 
which  we  advocate  and  support.  Forseeing  that  I  shall  have  no 
opportunity  of  continuing  this  letter  tomorrow,  and  unwilling 
to  send  you  any  blank  paper,  I  may  as  well  endeavor  to  fill  the 
remainder  of  my  sheet  with  such  matters  as  occur  to  me  now. 

You  will  easily  conceive  the  effect  produced  on  the  minds  of 
our  citizens  when  Mr.  Owen,  after  some  days  examination  of  the 
State  of  things  here,  proposed  the  immediate  formation  of  a 
Community  of  Equality  and  mutual  cooperation.  The  subject 
was  debated  with  the  utmost  freedom,  which  he  encouraged  by 
constant  efforts  to  make  every  one  speak  his  real  sentiments 
wheather  favorable  or  unfavorable  to  his  proposal.  After  a  full 
and  verily,  a  free  discussion  the  proposal  was  accepted,  and  we 
have  since  been  constantly  engaged  in  devising  the  means  by 
which  it  can  be  effected.  Next  week  after  your  receiving  this  you 
will  see  the  constitution  and  plan  of  arrangement,  and  you  will 
perceive  that  every  feature  bears  the  stamp  of  genuine  democracy, 
not  the  false  democracy  of  the  office  seekers  of  Zanesville. 

|  past  ten.  Mr.  Bosson  has  just  come  in  and  brought  me 
Mr.  Peters'  kind  &  affectionate  letter  of  Jan.  16th.  *  *  *  Good- 
night, Dr  William.  Wm.  Pelham. 


412  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Feb.  23,  1826.— Friday. 
My  Dear  William — 

I  have  snatched  up  the  first  sheet  of  paper  I  could  lay  my  hands 
on  (for  want  of  time  to  seek  a  better  one)- to  acknowledge  the  re- 
ceipt of  yours  of  Feb.  5 — 7,  postmarked  Feb.  7  which  came  to 
hand  yesterday  evening.  I  cannot  at  present  enter  into  par- 
ticulars, but  I  have  enquired  about  the  Steamboat  charges.  The 
result  is  that  from  Cincinnati  to  Louisville  the  charge  is  probably 
4  dollars  &  from  Louisville  to  Mt.  Vernon  8  dollars — perhaps 
something  less. 

Our  affairs  still  remain  in  an  unsettled  state,  the  consequence 
of  which  is  much  inconvenience  in  a  variety  of  ways.  There  is 
more  to  be  done  at  once  than  can  be  to  place  things  on  the  right 
footing.  Three  days  ago  Mr.  Owen  informed  me  that  Mr.  Jennings 
had  declined  the  editorship  of  the  paper  any  longer,  and  he,  (Mr. 
Owen)  wished  me  to  undertake  it.  I  answered  him  that  I  con- 
sidered that  duty  a  very  important  one,  and  I  did  not  conceive 
myself  by  any  means  adequate  to  the  task.  He  said  that  I  should 
have  assistance  when  I  required  it.  But  I  know  full  well  the 
difference  between  promising  &  performing,  however  as  he  seemed 
to  expect  it  of  me,  I  prepared  the  2  editorial  articles  in  the  last 
Gazette,  and  shewed  them  to  him,  before  they  were  inserted. 

Your  suggestion  concerning  a  direct  rout  to  Indianapolis,  is 
well  worthy  of  attention.  It  shall  be  communicated  to  Mr.  Owen, 
and  measures,  shall,  if  possible  be  put  in  train  to  effect  the  object 
in  view.  *  *  * 

I  have  not  time  to  write  more,  but  will  endeavor  to  send  you 
another  letter  next  week. 

Your  truly  affectionate  Father, 

Wm.  Pelham. 

I  have  had  a  smart  touch  of  the  prevailing  Influenza  but  am 
now  recovering — it  has  pulled  me  down  considerably. — My  face 
is  thin  and  pale — I  believe  I  have  lost  10  pounds  of  flesh  within  the 
last  4  or  5  weeks — but  I  expect  the  approach  of  warm  weather 
will  restore  me. 

Thursday  Afternoon,  Mar.  16",  1826. 
My  dear  William. 

I  have  just  finished  helping  Mr.  Palmer,  (according  to  custom) 
to  make  up  our  mails  and  I  have  a  few  minutes  left  before  I  shall 
be  called  upon  to  open  the  mail,  Mr.  Schnee  being  absent.  About 
3  or  4  weeks  ago  Mr.  Owen  accosted  me  with  a  wish  that  I  would 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  413 

undertake  to  conduct  the  Gazette  as  Mr.  Jennings  had  declined 
it  on  account  of  his  health.  I  answered  that  I  considered  it  an 
important  concern,  and  that  I  was  not  competent  to  the  task. 
To  make  a  long  story  short,  he  urged  it  and  I  merely  acquiested. 
In  this  new  capacity  I  have  done  as  well  as  I  could,  though  not  so 
well  as  I  wished.  How  long  this  will  continue  to  be  my  occupation 
is  uncertain.  Dr.  Buchanan  of  Shelbyville,  Ky.  has  at  last  been 
written  to.  to  be  the  editor,  but  our  hopes  of  his  coming  are  very 
slim.  I  shall  be  heartily  glad  to  get  rid  of  this  burden  as  soon  as 
possible. 

Since  I  last  wrote  to  you  very  considerable  changes  have  taken 
place  in  our  affairs,  and  the  prospect  is  now  daily  improving. 
Mr.  Owen  is  indefatigable  in  his  endeavors  to  introduce  economy, 
frugality,  industry,  equality,  and  other  practices  essential  to  the 
success  of  his  principles.  In  the  meantime  I  do  not  doubt  you 
very  frequently  hear  the  most  unfavorable  accounts  of  this  place; 
but  you  need  not  fear  a  dissolution  of  this  Society,  for  it  cannot 
happen.  Various  modifications  have  been,  and  probably  will  be 
made,  without  touching  the  foundation,  which  stands  on  a  rock, 
not  to  be  shaken  by  priestcraft  or  any  other  worldly  craft. 

You  will  perceive  that  I  have  given  a  new  complexion  to  the 
Gaz.  in  discouraging  those  long-winded  metaphysical  disquisi- 
tions with  which  Mr.  J.  was  wont  to  fill  its  columns.  There  are 
some  able  pens  employed  in  the  service  of  the  Gaz.  and  when  wt 
get  in  order  I  am  in  hopes  the  paper  will  become  more  useful  than 
it  has  hitherto  heen.  You  will  understand  that  my  criticisms  on 
the  paper  are  entirely  confidential.  I  just  hear  the  Mail  Stage  horn 
at  a  distance. 

Friday  Afternoon. — Miscellany.  The  mail  yesterday  was 
unusually  small.  I  reed,  neither  a  letter  nor  an  Ohio  Repub.  I 
shall  anxiously  look  for  you  during  the  whole  of  next  month.  I 
would  wish  you  to  deposite  in  your  memory  all  you  hear  of  us  either 
good  or  bad,  though  I  am  aware  your  mind  will  not  be  overlooked 
with  reports  of  the  former  description.  It  might  not  be  amiss  to 
make  notes,  to  assist  yr  memory.  The  fare  from  Cincinn  to 
Louisville  is  about  4  dollars,  from  L.  to  Mt.  Vernon  about  6. 
Mr.  Neef  is  expected  to  be  here  this  evening  or  tomorrow. 

I  would  willing  communicate  with  you  further,  if  I  did  not  feel 
too  cold  &  uncomfortable  &  moreover  had  a  convenient  situation 
for  writing.  I  should  like  you  to  come  alone  if  you  do  not  ac- 
company Daniel  Ferson. 

Farewell  my  dear  Son — Let  me  have  the  supreme  satisfaction 


414  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

of  seeing  you  in  April  at  furthest.     In  the  meantime  present  me 
most  kindly  to  Mr.  Peters  &  Mary  and  all  other  friends. 

Wm.  Pelham. 

The  following  letter  from  Wm.  Creese  Pelham  written  a  few  weeks 
before  his  Father's  death,  gives  some  information  in  connection  with  the 
schools  and  Educational  Society  of  New  Harmony. 

New  Harmony,  Wednesday  10  January  1827. 
My  Dear  Father 

I  was  unavoidably  detained  in  school  longer  this  evening  than 
I  wished  and  cannot  write  you  as  much  as  I  wished.  Bolton  and 
myself  have  several  times  agreed  to  come  out  to  you  but  have  been 
detained  by  "counteracting  circumstances"  such  as  rainy  days 
and  cold  days  &c  but  we  shall  be  with  you  next  Sunday  or  the 
Sunday  following  I  think. — 

We  go  on  in  the  same  old  way,  changing  every  thing,  some- 
thimes  before  we  have  an  opportunity  to  find  out  its  benefits. 
In  the  internal  arrangements  of  our  society  no  very  considerable 
changes  have  been  made.  Dunn  &  Johnson  have  left  us.  We 
have  received  between  30  &  40  children  from  Mr.  Owen's  Com- 
munity as  day  scholars  at  No.  2.  Mr.  McCall  has  a  class  and 
Mr.  Brown,  they  come  as  day  scholars  at  eight  dollars  per  year. 
All  the  other  children  attend  at  Madam's  at  No.  5,  where  some 
are  well  satisfied  with  their  progress  and  others  the  contrary  as 
usual.  Dr.  Embree,  a  young  man  from  Cincinnati  delivers 
lectures  to  them  on  physiology  and  dissects  pigs  and  dogs  &c  for 
their  information. 

Phiquepal  has  taken  his  boys  entirely  to  himself  and  lives  in 
the  Church  and  hall.  Jones  and  his  wife  are  part  of  his  community 
and  Simms  &c.  The  Carpenters,  Shoemakers  and  all  persons 
not  employed  in  teaching  the  children  have  removed  from  the 
Church.  Thirwell  has  taken  all  his  tools  &c  home.  Phiquepal 
has  stopped  his  boys  from  making  shoes  for  the  community, 
which  created  some  dissatisfaction. 

A  resolution  was  passed  a  short  time  since  by  our  society  for- 
biding  the  use  of  the  Hall  for  dancing  &c,  without  special  permis- 
sion of  the  society.  This  week,  on  the  application  of  Miss  Caroline 
Tiebout,  one  of  our  members,  a  resolution  \vas  passed  for  a  ball 
this  evening,  but  on  the  earnest  representation  of  Phiquepal  that 
it  was  impossible  to  use  the  Hall  for  dancing  without  interfering 
with  his  arrangements,  the  resolution  was  repealed,  and  we  need 
expect  no  more  balls  in  the  Hall  unless  they  be  on  Sunday  after- 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  415 

noon  as  proposed  by  Mr.  Owen,  but  which  meets  with  great 
opposition. 

Phiquepal's  boys  sleep  in  the  rooms  formerly  Lesueur  and 
Troost's  in  the  Hall  and  go  to  bed  at  eight  and  rise  at  four  when 
they  receive  one  of  their  lessons,  a  lecture  I  believe  from  Phiquepal. 
He  has  his  school  room  which  is  likewise  his  eating  room  &c 
covered  with  skeletons,  bones,  arithmometers  &c  &c  so  that  it 
looks  more  like  a  museum  than  a  schoolroom. 

The  prospect  of  our  leaving  here  in  the  spring  brightens.  I 
earnestly  hope  we  may  not  be  disappointed.  Dr.  Price  writes 
from  Cincinnati  that  Neville  can  be  purchased  of  Gen.  Neville 
with  2600  acres  of  excellent  land  for  $15000.  The  Gen.  wishes 
to  become  a  member  of  the  community.  A  part  of  the  property 
which  is  rented  produced  to  the  Gen.  on  an  average  of  35  bush, 
of  corn  per  acre  being  one  third  of  the  actual  produce.  A  new 
steam  engine  which  cost  $2600  was  put  in  the  mill  last  year, 
(a  saw  and  grist  mill)  there  are  several  good  brick  houses  &c  &c. 
The  improvements  put  on  the  place  by  Piate  cost  $24000,  since 
which  Gen.  Neville  has  expended  several  thousand, — but  all  this 
is  not  talked  of  publicly  yet, — a  meeting  was  held  at  Thirwell's 
last  evening  on  the  subject  and  mem.  furnished  Lees  who  is 
going  up  the  river  shortly.  Dr.  Price  writes  he  has  no  doubt 
but  the  money  can  be  raised  at  any  time  in  Cincinnati  and  con- 
sidered as  a  speculation  it  is  the  greatest  one  ever  offered  and  noth- 
ing but  the  General  being  such  a  devoted  community  man  could 
ever  induce  him  to  make  the  offer  &c. 

I  believe  our  Rope  factory  burned  down  before  you  were 
here  last,  and  No.  4  was  on  fire  yesterday  but  little  damage  was 
done.  Our  Society  is  still  tearing  down  the  log  buildings  for 
firewood,  and  the  women  sometimes  cannot  agree  among  them- 
selves who  is  the  cook.  Burton  and  Beal  were  the  cooks  at  the 
Granary  last  week.  The  dining  tables  have  all  been  removed 
from  the  Granary  into  the  sitting  room  at  the  Green  House. 
Three  tables  accomodate  all  who  eat  there.  The  reason  for  this 
was  that  the  Granary  was  cold  and  Phiquepal  having  taken  his 
boys  &c  away  left  but  few  who  might  be  more  comfortably  accomo- 
dated  in  the  sitting  room- — the  room  East  of  that  now  used  for 
our  meetings.  Tiebout  has  resigned  his  office  of  storekeeper. 

Our  Scientific  Journal  has  not  yet  been  commenced  but  the 
plates  for  it  are  engraving  and  preparations  making.  The 
Printing  press  &c  have  been  removed  to  the  Infirmary  or  old 
carpenter  shop. 


416  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Say  was  married  the  other  day  to  Lucy  Sistare,  they  went  off 
to  a  place  beyond  Springfield.  *  *  * 

Your  aff.  Son 

Wm.  Creese  Pelham. 

A  letter  from  William  Owen  to  William  Pelham  of  Zanesville,  0. 

* 

Harmonie,  Indiana 

22— January  1825 
Sir- 
In  my  Father's  absence  I  have  received  your  letters  dated  the 
1 — &  24 — of  last  month. 

My  father  sailed  up  the  river  from  Mount  Vernon  about  10 
days  ago,  in  company  with  Mr.  Rapp  and  70  or  80  Harmonians 
who  were  on  their  way  to  Economy,  a  property  lately  purchased 
by  them  near  Pittsburg.  My  Father  intends  proceeding  to  the 
City  of  Washington  without  delay,  hoping  to  come  into  communi- 
cation there,  with  most  of  the  leading  minds  in  the  States.  As 
soon  as  he  has  made  known,  as  far  as  he  considers  necessary,  the 
leading  features  of  his  plans,  he  will  then  return  to  this  place  as 
quickly  as  possible,  in  order  to  complete  the  arrangements  neces- 
sary to  the  formation  of  a  Society  here,  founded  on  the  Principles, 
which  he  has  so  long  advocated;  for  which  purpose  he  purchased 
this  estate  from  Mr.  Rapp,  a  few  days  before  his  departure. 

I  am  highly  gratified  to  learn  that  you  have  been  pleased  by 
the  perusal  of  the  Dublin  Journal,  containing  an  account  of  my 
Fathers  proceedings  while  in  that  City. 

At  present  we  have  no  further  publication  here;  but  we  are  in 
expectation  of  receiving  several  shortly  from  Europe.  When 
they  arrive  I  am  sure  my  Father  will  have  much  pleasure  in 
giving  you  every  information  on  the  subject. 

As  it  is  intended  to  form  an  establishment  here  with  the  least 
possible  loss  of  time,  I  fear  my  Father  will  be  prevented  from 
seeing  you  at  Zanesville,  before  his  return  to  this  town;  but  I  am 
sure  he  will  take  the  earliest  opportunity  of  cultivating  a  personal 
acquaintance  with  you. 

It  is  proposed  that  a  Society  be  formed  here,  on  the  Principle 
of  united  production  and  consumption,  to  be  composed  of  persons 
practicing  all  the  most  useful  occupations  necessary  to  the  well 
being  of  a  complete  establishment,  to  whom  lodgings,  food 
clothing,  attendance  during  sickness  and  a  good  education  for 
their  children  will  be  secured.  The  profits  to  accumulate  in 
order  to  form  a  new  Community  on  the  Principle  of  complete 


WILLIAM  PELHAM.  417 

equality,  as  soon  as  a  sufficient  sum  shall  be  realized.  In  case  of 
expulsion  or  Voluntary  Departure  each  family  to  be  entitled  to 
draw  out  all  the  property  they  may  have  brought  in  with  them, 
and  to  receive  in  addition  whatever  the  Directors  of  the  establish- 
ment may  consider  reasonable. 

We  expect  a  number  of  useful  tradesmen  to  come  out  from 
Europe  in  November  or  December  and  that  we  shall  be  joined  by 
many  others  both  from  the  Eastern  States  and  from  this  neighbor- 
hood. 

I  shall  forward  your  letter  to  Washington  City  by  tomorrow's 
post.  My  Father,  I  think,  will  be  with  us  again  early  in  March. 
We  shall  be  happy  to  see  you  here  whenever  you  cam  make  it 
convenient  to  leave  home  and  I  have  no  doubt,  my  Father  will 
endeavor  to  make  his  arrangements  to  visit  you  if  possible,  on  his 
return  Westward. 

With  best  thanks  for  your  good  wishes,  believe  me 

Your  Obt.  Servt. 

Wm.  Owen. 


T— 27 


From  Travels  through  North  America,  during  the  year  1825 
and  1826,  by  His  Highness,  Bernhard,  Duke  of 
Saxe-Weimer  Eisenach  [1828],  Vol.  II.,  pp.  105- 
124. 

BERNHARD,  KARL,  Duke  of  Saxe-Weimer. 

Duke  Bernhard  tells  us  that  the  idea  of  visiting  America  occupied  his 
mind  almost  from  the  earliest  years,  the  chief  reason  being  "I  wished  to  see 
the  new  world;  the  country;  the  people;  their  conditions  and  institutions; 
their  customs  and  manners."  But  due  to  the  exactions  of  the  military  life, 
this  desire  was  not  granted  until  rather  late  in  years.  Finally  in  1825  the 
opportunity  came,  and  due  to  the  friendship  that  existed  between  himself 
and  the  king  of  the  Netherlands,  the  latter  provided  passage  for  him  on  a 
royal  sloop  of  war — The  Pallas. 

Duke  Bernhard  spent  fifteen  months  in  this  country.  By  training  he 
was  a  keen  observer,  and  his  accounts  therefore  are  of  more  than  usual 
interest. 

The  Wabash,  a  very  beautiful  river,  rises  not  far  from  the 
sources  of  the  Miami  of  the  Lakes,  and  meanders  through  one  of 
the  most  fertile  districts  of  the  west.  At  its  mouth,  it  is  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  broad,  and  is  navigable  about 
four  hundred  miles.  The  Wabash  forms  the  boundary  between 
the  states  of  Illinois  and  Indiana,  the  right  bank  belongs  to  the 
former,  the  left  to  the  latter  state.  About  evening,  the  steam- 
boat landed  Mr.  Huygens  and  myself  on  the  right  bank  at  Mount 
Vernon,  a  place  established  about  two  years  ago,  whence  we  pro- 
posed to  go  by  land  to  New  Harmony.  Mr.  Hottinguer  left  us, 
as  he  pursued  his  voyage  in  the  steam-boat;  I  parted  very  reluc- 
tantly from  this  esteemed  fellow  traveller,  who  possessed  many 
good  qualities,  above  all  others,  one  seldom  found  in  his  country- 
men, great  modesty. 

Mount  Vernon  lies  upon  a  high  bank,  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
six  miles  from  New  Orleans,  and  eight  hundred  and  three  from 
Pittsburgh.  It  is  a  favourable  situation  for  trade,  laid  out  on 
an  extensive  plan,  but  has  only  frame  houses,  and  at  most  three 
hundred  inhabitants.  It  is  the  new  capital  of  Posey  county. 
A  prison  was  finished  for  the  use  of  the  county;  a  court-house  was 
about  to  be  built.  We  formed  an  acquaintance  with  a  physician 
established  here,  and  a  travelling  merchant.  The  roots  of  the 
felled  trees  remained  yet  in  the  streets  of  the  town,  the  woods 

(418) 


KARL  BERNHARD.  419 

began  close  behind  the  houses;  nay,  the  latest  built  were  en- 
circled by  them. 

On  the  following;  morning,  15th  of  April,  we  hired  a  two-horse 
wagon,  to  carry  us  to  the  village  of  New  Harmony,  which  is  six- 
teen miles  distant  from  Mount  Vernon,  and  lies  on  the  left  shore 
of  the  Wabash.  The  road  passed  through  a  hilly  country, 
thickly  grown  with  green-leaved  trees.  The  way  was  made  very 
bad  by  former  rains,  and  the  most  miry  places  were  mended  with 
logs,  forming  a  grievous  causeway;*  over  a  little  stream,  called 
Big  creek,  we  crossed  a  tolerable  wooden  bridge.  About  half 
way  is  Springfield,  at  first  made  the  capital  of  Posey  county, 
which,  however,  afterwards  was  changed  to  Mount  Vernon,  as 
I  have  mentioned  before.  In  Springfield  the  county  gaol  still 
remains,  also  a  brick  court-house,  and  about  ten  wooden  houses, 
two  of  them  are  taverns.  As  the  road  was  very  bad,  and  the 
horses  went  very  slow,  I  walked  at  least  ten  miles,  and  arrived 
at  New  Harmony,  before  the  carriage.  As  soon  as  you  clear  the 
woods,  you  have  a  very  handsome  view  of  the  place.  It  lies  in  a 
valley,  not  far  from  the  Wabash.  The  woody  and  low  banks  of 
this  river,  were  at  present,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  New  Harmony, 
overflowed.  From  the  roots  of  trees  still  remaining,  it  was  visible, 
that  this  country  had  been  covered  with  wood  but  a  short  time 
back. 

In  fact,  it  is  but  eleven  years  since  Mr.  Rapp  with  his  society, 
after  they  had  disposed  of  Harmony  in  Pennsylvania,  moved 
here,  and  felled  the  first  tree  to  found  New  Harmony  in  a  country 
inhabited  only  by  wolves,  Indians,  bears,  rattlesnakes,  &c. 

The  hills  immediately  next  to  the  place,  are  already  cleared 
of  timber  of  the  larger  kind;  they  are  converted  into  vineyards, 
and  partly  into  orchards.  Farther  off  are  meadows  and  fields  to 
the  right,  and  to  the  left  fruit  and  vegetable  gardens,  carefully 
enclosed  by  palisades.  New  Harmony  itself,  has  broad  unpaved 
streets,  in  which  good  brick  houses  appear  alternately,  with  framed 
cabins  and  log  houses:  the  streets  are  regular,  running  at  right 
angles.  We  took  up  our  quarters  in  the  only  tavern  there,  be- 
longing to  the  community;  it  was  passable. 

Rapp's  society,  called  from  their  former  residence,  the  Har- 

monites,    consisted   of   WTurtemburgers.     Their   early   history   is 

known,  and  perhaps,  when  I  visit  this  society  from  Pittsburgh  in 

their  new  establishment,  "Economy,"  I  may  find  an  opportunity 

i- 

*[' 'These  log  turnpikes  are  better  known  by  the  name  of  "corduroy  roads."] 

TRANS. 


420  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

to  say  more  concerning  them.  Rapp  sold  New  Harmony  in 
the  year,  1825,  to  the  Englishman,  Robert  Owen,  and  left  there 
with  his  people  on  the  5th  of  May,  to  go  up  the  Ohio  to  Economy. 
Mr.  Owen  was  originally  engaged  in  manufactures,  and  possessed 
a  large  cotton  factory  at  New  Lanark,  on  the  Falls  of  Clyde,  ten 
miles  from  Glasgow  in  Scotland,  where  he  had,  by  the  adoption 
of  a  new  system  of  education  and  formation  of  character,  changed 
a  collection  of  one  thousand  rude  labourers  into  a  community  of 
industrious  beings.  His  system,  and  his  ideas  upon  the  situation 
of  human  society,  as  well  as  the  improvements  that  are  capable 
of  being  made,  he  has  divulged  in  a  series  of  essays,  which  are 
collected,  and  appear  in  print  under  the  name  of  a  new  view  of 
society.  They  conclude  with  the  project  of  a  constitution  for  a 
community  formed  on  his  system. 

Mr.  Owen  is  an^  enemy  to  all  sects,  the  spirit  of  which  has 
generated  so  much  evil  under  the  imposing  name  of  religion.  He 
allows  each  person  liberty  to  believe  in  what  he  may  consider  to 
be  good;  so  that  a  pure  Deism  is  the  peculiar  religion  of  his  ad- 
herents. On  this  account  he  was  very  obnoxious  to  the  prevail- 
ing sects  in  Great  Britain,  and  accordingly  his  system  could  not 
extend  itself  there.  He  was  therefore  induced  to  turn  this  atten- 
tion to  the  United  States,  and  particularly  to  the  western  part  of 
the  Union,  where,  as  he  says,  there  is  less  hypocrisy  of  religion 
prevailing  than  to  the  east.  He  then  purchased  New  Harmony 
from  Mr.  Rapp,  and  commenced  his  establishment  in  the  month 
of  May  last.  As  he  laid  the  foundation  of  it  entirely  on  perfect 
equality  and  community  of  property,  many  enthusiasts  in  these 
principles  from  various  parts  of  the  Union  joined  themselves  to 
him;  and  also  a  number  of  vagabonds  and  lazy  worthless  persons, 
from  all  parts  of  the  worlds,  that  would  willingly  live  well  at  the 
public  expense,  who  had  drank  away  the  little  money,  if  they 
brought  any  at  all,  at  the  tavern,  and  who  would  not  work,  but 
desired  to  say  a  great  deal.  Mr.  Owen  had  gone  to  England  on 
account  of  business  in  the  month  of  July,  and  during  his  absence, 
.a  complete  anarchy  had  been  introduced  into  the  new  community. 
At  the  end  of  October  he  arrived  from  England  at  New  York  on 
his  return,  gave  lectures  there,  in  Philadelphia,  and  in  Washing- 
ton, upon  his  system,  made  seme  proselytes  in  Philadelphia,  and 
came  back  to  New  Harmony.  He  lamented  over  his  people,  and 
brought  the  situation  of  anarchy  in  which  they  had  fallen  before 
their  eyes  so  plainly,  with  the  consequences  resulting  therefrom, 
that  they  invested  him  with  dictatorial  authority  for  one  year. 


KARL  BERNHARD.  421 

In  the  eastern  states  there  is  a  general  dislike  to  him.  It  was 
thought  unadvised  that  he  issued  a  proclamation  to  the  Americans 
on  his  last  arrival  in  New  York,  in  which  he  told  them,  that  among 
many  virtues  they  possessed  great  faults,  among  which  he  alluded 
to  an  ill-directed  propensity  to  religious  feelings,  and  proposed 
himself  as  their  reformer  in  this  respect.  I  heard  at  that  time 
unfavourable  expressions  from  persons  in  the  highest  public 
offices  against  him;  and  one  of  them  gave  Mr.  Owen  to  under- 
stand very  plainly  that  he  considered  his  intellects  rather  deranged.* 
In  one  family  alone,  where  theory  took  place  of  experimental 
knowledge,  did  I  hear  conversation  turn  to  his  advantage. 

After  all  this,  I  came  with  the  utmost  expectation  to  New 
Harmony,  curious  to  become  acquainted  with  a  man  of  such 
extraordinary  sentiments.  In  the  tavern,  I  accosted  a  man  very 
plainly  dressed,  about  fifty  years  of  age,  rather  of  low  stature, 
who  entered  into  a  conversation  with  me,  concerning  the  situa- 
tion of  the  place,  and  the  disordered  state  in  which  I  would  find 
every  thing,  where  all  was  newly  established,  &c.  When  I  asked 
this  man  how  long  before  Mr.  Owen  would  be  there,  he  announced 
himself,  to  my  no  small  surprize,  as  Mr.  Owen,  was  glad  at  my 
visit,  and  offered  himself  to  show  every  thing,  and  explain  to  me 
whatever  remained  without  explanation.  As  the  arrangement 
calculated  for  Rapp's  society  was  not  adapted  to  his,  of  course 
many  alterations  would  naturally  be  made.  All  the  log  houses 
still  standing  in  the  place,  he  intended  to  remove,  and  only  brick 
and  framed  edifices  should  be  permitted  to  remain.  Also  all 
enclosures  about  particular  gardens,  as  well  as  all  the  enclosures 
within  the  place  itself,  he  would  take  away,  and  only  allow  the 
public  highways  leading  through  the  settlement  to  be  enclosed. 
The  whole  should  bear  a  resemblance  to  a  park,  in  which  the  sepa- 
rate houses  should  be  scattered  about. 

In  the  first  place,  Mr.  Owen  carried  me  to  the  quondam  church 
of  Rapp's  society;  a  simple  wooden  building,  with  a  steeple  of 
the  same  materials,  provided  with  a  clock.  This  church  was  at 
present  appropriated  to  joiner's  and  shoemaker's  shops,  in  which 
the  boys  are  instructed  in  these  mechanic  arts. 

Behind  the  church  stands  a  large  brick  edifice,  built  in  the 
form  of  a  cross,  and  furnished  with  a  species  of  cupola,  the  purpose 

*[This  is  perhaps,  the  most  charitable  idea  that  can  be  formed  of  the  actions  of 
such  reformers,  as  well  as  of  a  "lady  heretofore  mentioned,  who  has  unsexed  herself, 
and  become  so  intoxicated  with  vanity,  as  enthusiastically  to  preach  up  a  "reformation" 
in  favour  of  the  promiscuous  intercourse  of  sexes  and  colours,  the  downfall  of  all 
religion,  and  the  removal  of  all  restraints  imposed  by  virtue  and  morality!] — -TRANS. 


422  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

of  which  is  unknown.  Rapp,  they  say,  had  dreamed  three  times 
that  this  building  should  be  erected,  and  therefore  he  had  it  done; 
but  it  is  thought,  and  I  believe  correctly,  that  he  only  did  this  to 
keep  his  society  in  constant  employment,  so  that  they  could  have 
no  leisure  to  reflect  upon  their  situation,  and  dependence  upon 
him.  .His  power  over  them  actually  extended  so  far,  that  to 
prevent  his  society  from  too  great  an  increase,  he  forbid  the 
husbands  from  associating  with  their  wives.  I  also  heard  here 
a  report  which  I  had  already  been  apprised  of  in  Germany,  that 
he  had  himself  castrated  a  son  who  had  transgressed  this  law,  for 
the  sake  of  an  example,  and  that- the  son  had  died  under  the  opera- 
tion. Over  one  of  the  entrances  of  this  problematical  edifice, 
stands  the  date  of  the  year  1822,  hewed  in  stone;  under  it  is  a  gilt 
rose,  and  under  this  is  placed  the  inscription  Micah.  4  v.  8.  The 
interior  of  the  house  forms  a  large  hall,  in  form  of  a  cross,  the  ceil- 
ing is  supported  by  wooden  pillars.  Mr.  Owen  has  devoted  the 
hall  to  the  purposes  of  dancing,  music,  and  meetings  for  philo- 
sophical discussions.  He  told  me  that  he  intended  to  have  the 
ends  of  the  cross,  both  of  the  grand  saloon  as  well  as -those  of  the 
hall  under  the  roof,  divided  off  by  partitions,  so  as  to  use  them  for 
school-rooms,  for  a  library,  for  a  cabinet  of  natural  history,  of 
physical  objects,  &c. 

Mr.  Owen  then  conducted  me  to  Rapp's  former  dwelling, 
a  large,  well-built  brick  house,  with  two  lightning  rods.  The  man 
of  God,  it  appeared,  took  especial  good  care  of  himself;  his  house 
was  by  far  the  best  in  the  place,  surrounded  by  a  garden  with  a 
flight  of  stone  steps,  and  the  only  one  furnished  with  lightning 
rods.  Mr.  Owen,  on  the  contrary,  contented  himself  with  a 
small  apartment  in  the  same  tavern  where  I  lodged.  At  present, 
the  offices,  and  the  residence  of  Mr.  M'Clure,  the  associate  of 
Mr.  Owen,  are  in  Rapp's  house.* 

Mr.  M'Clure  is  a  man  distinguished  for  learning,  who  has 
published  a  geological  chart  of  the  United  States.  He  told  me 
that  he  was  in  Germany  in  the  year  1802,  and  also  at  Weimar, 
where  he  had  become  acquainted  with  the  literati  residing  there. 
I  was  introduced  by  him  to  a  native  of  Alsace,  of  the  name  of 
Neef,  a  rather  aged  man,  who  had  the  superintendence  of  the 
boys.  Mr.  Owen's  two  eldest  sons  were  also  here  shown  to  me, 
pupils  of  Fellenberg,  who  is  greatly  respected.  Afterwards  Mr. 
Owen  made  me  acquainted  with  Mr.  Lewis,  secretary  of  the  society 

*[It  is  understood  that  Mr.  M'Clure  has  long  since  given  up  all  connexion  with  the 
New  Harmony  bubble.] — TRANS. 


KARL  BERNHARD.  423 

from  Virginia,  and  a  relation  of  the  great  Washington.  He  was 
already  pretty  far  advanced  in  years,  and  appeared  to  have  united 
himself  to'  the  society  from  liberal  principles,  as  far  as  I  could 
judge  from  our  short  conversation.  Another  acquaintance  that 
I  made,  was  with  a  Mr.  Jennings,  from  Philadelphia,  a  young  man, 
who  was  educated  as  a  clergyman,  but  had  quitted  that  profes- 
sion to  follow  this  course  of  life,  and  had  united  himself  to  Mr. 
Owen.  He  intended,  nevertheless,  to  leave  this  place  again,  and 
return  back  to  Philadelphia.  Many  other  members  have  the 
same  design,  and  I  can  hardly  believe  that  this  society  will  have  a 
long  duration.*  Enthusiasm,  which  abandons  its  subjects  but 
too  soon,  as  well  as  the  itch  for  novelty,  had  contributed  much 
to  the  formation  of  this  society.  In  spite  of  the  principles  of 
equality  which  they  recognize,  it  shocks  the  feelings  of  people  of 
education,  to  live  on  the  same  footing  with  every  one  indiscrim- 
inately, and  eat  with  them  at  the  same  table. 

The  society  consisted,  as  I  was  informed,  of  about  one  thou- 
sand members;  at  a  distance  of  two  miles  are  founded  two  new- 
communities.  Till  a  general  table  shall  be  instituted,  according  to 
the  fundamental  constitution  of  the  society,  the  members  are 
placed  in  four  boarding-houses,  where  they  must  live  very  fru- 
gally. Several  of  the  most  turbulent,  with  an  Irishman  who  wore 
a  long  beard,  at  their  head,  wished  to  leave  the  society  immediately 
to  go  to  Mexico,  there  to  settle  themselves,  but  where  their  sub- 
sistence will  be  procured  with  as  much  difficulty. 

In  the  evening  Mr.  Owen  conducted  me  to  a  concert  in  the 
non-descript  building.  Most  of  the  members  of  the  society  were 
present.  The  orchestra  was  not  numerous,  it  consisted  at  first 
only  of  one  violin,  one  violoncello,  one  clarionet  and  two  flutes. 
Nevertheless  the  concert  was  surprisingly  good,  especially  as  the 
musicians  have  not  been  together  a  year.  The  clarionet  player 
performed  particularly  well,  and  afterwards  let  us  hear  him  on  the 
bugle.  Several  good  male  and  female  vocalists  then  took  a  part, 
they  sang  among  other  things  a  trio  accompanied  by  the  clarionet 
only.  Declamation  was  interspersed  among  the  musical  per- 
formances, Lord  Byron's  stanzas  to  his  wife  after  their  separation 
were  extremely  well  recited.  Between  the  two  parts  of  the  con- 
cert the  music  played  a  march,  each  gentleman  gave  a  lady  his  arm, 
and  a  promenade  took  place,  resembling  a  Polonaise  with  pretty 
figures,  sometimes  in  two  couples,  sometimes  in  four;  two  ladies 

*By  late  newspapers  it  appears  that  the  society  actually  dissolved  itself,  in  the 
beginning  of  the  year  1827. 


424  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

in  the  middle,  the  gentlemen  separated  from  the  ladies,  then  again 
all  together.  The  concert  closed  with  a  lively  cotillion.  I  was, 
on  the  whole,  much  amused;  and  Mr.  Huygens  took  an  active 
share  in  the  dancing.  This  general  evening  amusement  takes 
place  often  in  the  week;  besides,  on  Tuesday,  there  is  a  general 
ball.  There  is  a  particular  costume  adopted  for  the  society. 
That  for  the  men  consists  of  wide  pantaloons  buttoned  over  a 
boy's  jacket,  made  of  light  material,  without  a  collar;  that  of  the 
women  of  a  coat  reaching  to  the  knee  and  pantaloons,  such  as 
little  girls  wear  among  us.  These  dresses  are  not  universally 
adopted,  but  they  have  a  good  appearance.  An  elderly  French 
lady,  who  presides  over  the  department  of  young  mothers,  and 
the  nursing  of  all  the  very  small  children,  stuck  by  my  side  during 
a  large  portion  of  the  evening,  and  tormented  me  with  her  phil- 
osophical views.  All  the  men  did  not  take  a  share  in  the  dance, 
i.  e.  the  lower  class,  but  read  newspapers,  which  were  scattered 
over  the  side-tables. 

The  public  house  in  which  we  lived  was  conducted  on  account 
of  the  society.  General  Evans  was  looked  for,  who  was  to  keep 
the  house;  in  the  mean  time  it  was  directed  by  the  physician  of 
the  society,  Dr.  M'Namee,  from  Vincennes.  Among  the  public 
buildings  I  remarked  two  of  which  the  lower  part  was  strongly 
built  with  rough  stone,  and  provided  with  loop-holes.  The 
larger  of  these  was  the  granary,  and  it  was  reasonably  thought 
that  Rapp  had  this  built  as  a  defensive  redoubt  for  his  own  people. 
At  the  first  period  of  his  establishment  in  this  country  he  had  not 
only  had  the  Indians,  but  also  the  rude  people  known  under  the 
general  title  of  backwoodsmen,  who  not  only  saw  the  establish- 
ment of  such  a  society  with  jealous  eyes,  which  they  knew  would 
be  wealthy  in  a  short  time,  but  also  entertained  a  grudge  against 
Rapp's  unnatural  rules  of  chastity. 

On  the  morning  of  the  14th  of  April,  I  strolled  about  the  place 
to  look  round  me.  I  visited  Mr.  Neef,  but  found  his  wife  only  at 
home,  a  native  of  Memmingen,  in  Swabia.  Her  husband  was  in 
the  act  of  leading  the  boys  out  to  labour.  Military  exercises  form 
a  part  of  the  instruction  of  the  children.  I  saw  the  boys  divided 
into  two  ranks,  and  parted  into  detachments  marching  to  labour, 
and  on  the  way  they  performed  various  wheelings  and  evolutions. 
All  the  boys  and  girls  have  a  very  healthy  look,  are  cheerful  and 
lively,  and  by  no  means  bashful.  The  boys  labour  in  the  field 
and  garden,  and  were  now  occupied  with  new  fencing.  The 
girls  learn  female  employments;  they  were  as  little  oppressed  as 


KARL  BERNHARD.  425 

the  boys  with  labour  and  teaching;  these  happy  and  interesting 
children  were  much  more  employed  in  making  their  youth  pass 
as  pleasantly  as  possible.  Madam  Neef  showed  the  school-house, 
in  which  she  dwelt,  and  in  which  the  places  for  sleeping  were 
arranged  for  the  boys.  Each  boy  slept  on  a  cot  frame,  upon  a 
straw  bed. 

We  went  next  to  Rapp's  distillery:  it  will  be  removed  alto- 
gether. Mr.  Owen  has  forbidden  distilling  also,  as  well  as  the 
use  of  ardent  spirits.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  Irishmen  here 
find  opportunities  of  getting  whiskey  and  fuddling  themselves 
from  the  flat  boats  that  stop  here,  &c.  We  saw  also  a  dye-house 
and  a  mill  set  in  motion  by  a  steam-engine  of  ten  horse-power. 
The  engine  was  old  and  not  in  good  order,  Mr.  Owen  said  however, 
he  hoped  to  introduce  steam-mills  here  in  time  from  England. 
From  the  mills  we  went  to  the  vineyard,  which  was  enclosed  and 
kept  in  very  good  order.  I  spoke  to  an  old  French  vine-dresser 
here.  He  assured  me  that  Rapp's  people  had  not  understood  the 
art  of  making  wine;  that  he  would  in  time  make  more  and  much 
better  wine,  than  had  been  done  heretofore.  The  wine  stocks 
are  imported  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  the  wine  has  an 
entirely  and  singular  and  strange  taste,  which  reminds  one  of 
the  common  Spanish  wines. 

We  went  again  to  the  quondam  church,  or  workshop  for  the 
boys,  who  are  intended  for  joiners  and  shoemakers.  These  boys 
sleep  upon  the  floor  above  the  church  in  cribs,  three  in  a  row,  and 
thus  have  their  sleeping  place  and  place  of  instruction  close  to- 
gether. We  also  saw  the  shops  of  the  shoemakers,  tailors  and 
saddlers,  also  the  smiths,  of  which  six  were  under  one  roof,  and 
the  pottery,  in  which  were  two  rather  large  furnaces.  A  porce- 
lain earth  has  been  discovered  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi, 
in  the  state  of  Illinois,  not  far  from  St.  Louis.  Two  experienced 
members  of  the  society,  went  in  that  direction,  to  bring  some  of 
the  earth  to  try  experiments  with,  in  burning.  The  greater  part 
of  the  young  girls,  whom  we  chanced  to  meet  at  home,  we  found 
emploj^ed  in  plaiting  straw  hats.  I  became  acquainted  with  a 
Madam  F — ,  a  native  of  St.  Petersburg.  She  married  an  Ameri- 
.can  merchant,  settled  there,  and  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  her 
husband  three  days  after  marriage.  She  then  joined  her  husband's 
family  at  Philadelphia,  and  as  she  was  somewhat  eccentric  and 
sentimental,  quickly  became  enthusiastically  attached  to  Mr. 
Owen's  system.  She  told,  me  however,  in  German,  that  she 
found  herself  egregiously  deceived;  that  the  highly  vaunted 


426  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

equality  was  not  altogether  to  her  taste;  that  some  of  the  society 
were  too  low,  and  the  table  was  below  all  criticism.  The  good 
lady  appeared  to  be  about  to  run  from  one  extreme  to  the  other 
for  she  added,  that  in  the  summer,  she  would  enter  a  Shaker 
establishment  near  Vincennes.* 

I  renewed  acquaintance  here  with  Mr.  Say,  a  distinguished 
naturalist  from  Philadelphia,  whom  I  had  been  introduced  to,  at 
the  Wistar  Party  there;  unfortunately  he  had  found  himself 
embarrassed  in  his  fortune,  and  was  obliged  to  come  here  as  a 
friend  of  Mr.  M'Clure.  This  gentleman  appeared  quite  comical 
in  the  costume  of  the  society,  before  described,  with  his  hands 
full  of  hard  lumps  and  blisters,  occasioned  by  the  unusual  labour 
he  was  obliged  to  undertake  in  the  garden. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  walk  in  the  streets,  and  met  with 
several  of  the  ladies  of  the  society,  who  rested  from  the  labours  of 
the  day.  Madam  F —  was  among  them,  whose  complaints  of 
disappointed  expectations  I  had  listened  to,  I  feared  still  more 
from  all  that  I  saw  and  heard,  that  the  society  would  have  but  a 
brief  existence.  I  accompanied  the  ladies  to  a  dancing  assembly, 
which  was  held  in  the  kitchen  of  one  of  the  boarding-houses. 
I  observed  that  this  was  only  an  hour  of  instruction  to  the  unprac- 
tised in  dancing,  and  that  there  was  some  restraint  on  account  of 
my  presence,  from  politeness  I  went  away,  and  remained  at  home 
the  remainder  of  the  evening.  About  ten  o'clock,  an  alarm  of 
fire  was  suddenly  raised.  An  old  log  building  used  as  a  wash- 
house  was  in  flames,  immediately  the  fire-engine  kept  in  a  dis- 
tinct house,  was  brought  and  served  by  persons  appointed  to  that 
duty.  They  threw  the  stream  of  water  through  the  many  aper- 
tures of  the  log-house,  and  quickly  put  a  stop  to  the  fire.  In  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  all  was  over.  Since  the  houses  in  the  place 
all  stand  separately,  there  is  nothing  to  fear  from  the  extension  of 
fire,  unless  in  a  strong  wind.  The  houses,  however,  are  all  covered 
with  shingles. 

On  the  loth  of  April,  I  went  into  the  garden  back  of  Rapp's 
house  to  see  a  plate  or  block  of  stone,  which  is  remarkable  as  it 
hears  the  impression  of  two  human  feet.  This  piece  of  stone  was 
hewed  out  of  a  rock  near  St.  Louis,  and  sold  to  Mr.  Rapp.  School- 
craft  speaks  of  it  in  his  travels,  and  I  insert  his  remarks,  as  I  have 
found  them  correct.  "The  impressions  are  to  all  appearance 

*[ According  to  the  report  of  some  females,  who  were  induced  to  visit  New  Harmony, 
and  remained  then-  for  some  time,  any  situation  much  above  abject  wretchedness, 
was  preferable  to  this  vaunted  terrestrial  paradise.] — TRANS. 


KARL  BERNHARD.  427 

those  of  a  man  standing  upright,  the  left  foot  a  little  forwards, 
the  heels  turned  inwards.  The  distance  between  the  heels  by  an 
exact  measurement  was  six  and  a  quarter  inches,  and  thirteen  and 
a  half  between  the  extremities  of  the  great  toes.  By  an  accurate 
examination,  it  will  however  be  ascertained,  that  they  are  not  the 
impression  of  feet,  accustomed  to  the  use  of  European  shoes, 
for  the  toes  are  pressed  out,  and  the  foot  is  flat,  as  is  observed  in 
persons  who  walk  barefoot.  The  probability  that  they  were 
caused  by  the  pressure  of  an  individual,  that  belonged  to  an  un- 
known race  of  men,  ignorant  of  the  art  of  tanning  hides,  and  that 
this  took  place  in  a  much  earlier  age  than  the  traditions  of  the 
present  Indians  extend  to,  this  probability  I  say,  is  strengthened 
by  the  extraordinary  size  of  the  feet  here  given.  In  another  re- 
spect, the  impressions  are  strikingly  natural,  since  the  muscles 
of  the  feet  are  represented  with  the  greatest  exactness  and  truth. 
This  circumstance  weakens  very  much  the  hypothesis,  that  they 
are  possibly  evidences  of  the  ancient  sculpture  of  a  race  of  men 
living  in  the  remote  ages  of  this  continent.  Neither  history  nor 
tradition,  gives  us  the  slightest  information  of  such  a  people. 
For  it  must  be  kept  in  mind,  that  we  have  no  proof  that  the  people 
who  erected  our  surprising  western  tumuli,  ever  had  a  knowledge 
of  masonry,  even  much  less  of  sculpture,  or  that  they  had  in- 
vented the  chisel,  the  knife,  or  the  axe,  those  excepted  made  from 
porphyry,  hornstone  or  obsidian.  The  medium  length  of  the 
human  male  foot  can  be  taken  at  ten  inches.  The  length  of  the 
foot  stamp  here  described,  amounts  to  ten  and  a  quarter  inches, 
the  breadth  measured  over  the  toes,  in  a  right  angle  with  the 
first  line  is  four  inches,  but  the  greatest  spread  of  the  toes  is  four 
and  a  half  inches,  which  breadth  diminished  at  the  heels  to  two 
and  a  half  inches.  Directly  before  these  impressions  is  a  well 
inserted  and  deep  mark,  similar  to  a  scroll  of  which  the  greatest 
length  is  two  feet  seven  inches,  and  the  greatest  breadth  twelve 
and  a  half  inches.  The  rock  which  contains  these  interesting 
traces,  is  a  compact  limestone  of  a  bluish-gray  colour." 

This  rock  with  the  unknown  impressions  are  remembered  as 
long  as  the  country  about  St.  Louis  has  been  known,  this  table  is 
hewn  out  of  a  rock,  and  indeed  out  of  a  perpendicular  wall  of 
rock. 

The  garden  of  Rapp's  house  was  the  usual  flower-garden  of  a 
rich  German  farmer.  In  it  was  a  green-house,  in  which  several 
large  fig  trees,  an  orange,  and  lemon  tree  stood  in  the  earth.  Mr. 
Owen  took  me  into  one  of  the  newly-built  houses,  in  which  the 


428  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

married  members  of  the  society  are  to  dwell.  It  consisted  of  two 
stories,  in  each  two  chambers  and  two  alcoves,  with  the  requisite 
ventilators.  The  cellar  of  the  house  is  to  contain  a  heating  ap- 
paratus, to  heat  the  whole  with  warm  air.  When  all  shall  be 
thoroughly  organized,  the  members  will  alternately  have  the 
charge  of  heating  the  apparatus.  Each  family  will  have  a  cham- 
ber and  an  alcove,  which  will  be  sufficient,  as  the  little  children 
will  be  in  the  nursery,  and  the  larger  at  school.  They  will  not 
require  kitchens,  as  all  are  to  eat  in  common.  The  unmarried 
women  will  live  together,  as  will  also  the  unmarried  men,  in  the 
manner  of  the  Moravian  brethern. 

I  had  an  ample  conversation  with  Mr.  Owen,  relating  to  his 
system,  and  his  expectations.  He  looks  forward  to  nothing  less 
than  to  remodel  the  world  entirely;  to  root  out  all  crime;  to  abolish 
all  punishments;  to  create  similar  views  and  similar  want**,  and  in 
this  manner  to  avoid  all  dissension  and  warfare.  When  his 
system  of  education  shall  be  brought  into  connection  with  the 
great  progress  made  by  mechanics,  and  which  is  daily  increasing 
every  man  can  then,  as  he  thought,  provide  his  smaller  neces- 
saries for  himself,  and  trade  would  cease  entirely!  I  expressed  a 
doubt  of  the  practicability  of  his  system  in  Europe,  and  even  in 
the  United  States.  He  was  too  unalterably  convinced  of  the 
results,  to  admit  the  slightest  room  for  doubt.  It  grieved  me  to 
see  that  Mr.  Owen  should  allow  himself  to  be  so  infatuated  by  his 
passion  for  universal  improvement,  as  to  believe  and  to  say  that 
he  is  about  to  reform  the  whole  world;  and  yet  that  almost  every 
member  of  his  society,  with  whom  I  have  conversed  apart, 
acknowledged  that  he  was  deceived  in  his  expectations,  and  ex- 
pressed their  opinion  that  Mr.  Owen  had  commenced  on  too 
grand  a  scale,  and  had  admitted  too  many  members,  without  the 
requisite  selection!  The  territory  of  the  society  may  contain 
twenty  five  thousand  acres.  The  sum  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
thousand  dollars  was  paid  to  Rapp  for  this  purchase,  and  for 
that  consideration  he  also  left  both  his  cattle,  and  a  consider- 
able flock  of  sheep  behind. 

I  went  with  the  elder  Doctor  M'Namee,  to  the  two  new  estab- 
lished communities,  one  of  which  is  called  No.  2,  or  Macluria; 
the  other  lately  founded,  No.  3.  No.  2,  lies  two  miles  distant 
from  New  Harmony,  at  the  entrance  of  the  forest,  which  will  be 
cleared  to  make  the  land  fit  for  cultivation,  and  consists  of  nine 
log  houses,  first  tenanted  about  four  weeks  since,  by  about  eighty 
persons.  They  are  mostly  backwoodsmen  with  their  families, 


KARL  BERNHARD.  429 

who  have  separated  themselves  from  the  community  No.  1,  in 
New  Harmony,  because  no  religion  is  acknowledged  there,  and 
these  people  wish  to  hold  their  prayer  meetings  undisturbed. 
The  fields  in  the  neighbourhood  of  this  community  were  of  course 
very  new.  The  community  No.  3,  consisted  of  English  country 
people,  who  formed  a  new  association,  as  the  mixture,  or  perhaps 
the  cosmopolitism  of  New  Harmony  did  not  suit  them;  they  left 
the  colony  planted  by  Mr.  Birkbeck,  at  English  Prairie,  about 
twenty  miles  hence,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Wabash,  after  ths 
unfortunate  death  of  that  gentleman,*  and  came  here.  This  is 
a  proof  that  there  are  two  evils  that  strike  at  the  root  of  the  young 
societies;  one  is  a  sectarian  or  intolerant  spirit;  the  other,  national 
prejudice.  No.  3,  is  to  be  built  on  a  very  pretty  eminence,  as 
yet  there  is  onV  a  frame  building  for  three  families  begun. 

After  we  had  returned  to  New  Harmony,  I  went  to  the  orchard 
on  the  Mount  Vernon  road  to  walk,  and  beheld,  to  my  great 
concern,  what  ravages  the  frost  had  committed  on  the  fruit  blos- 
soms, the  vines  must  have  been  completely  killed.  The  orchards 
planted  by  Rapp  and  his  society  are  large  and  very  handsome, 
containing  mostly  apple  and  peach  trees,  also  some  pear  and  cherry 
trees.  One  of  the  gardens  is  exclusively  devoted  to  flowers, 
where,  in  Rapp's  time,  a  labyrinth  was  constructed  of  beech 
tree  hedges  and  flowers,  in  the  middle  of  which  stood  a  pavilion, 
covered  with  the  tops  of  trees. 

I  afterwards  visited  Mr.  Neef,  who  is  still  full  of  the  maxims 
and  principles  of  the  French  revolution;  captivated  with  the 
system  of  equality;  talks  of  the  emancipation  of  the  negroes,  and 
openly  proclaims  himself  an  ATHEIST.  Such  people  stand  by 
themselves,  and  fortunately  are  so  very  few  in  number,  that  they 
can  do  little  or  no  injury. 

In  the  evening  there  was  a  general  meeting  in  the  large  hall, 
it  opened  with  music.  Then  one  of  the  members,  an  English 
architect  of  talent,  who  came  to  the  United  States,  with  Mr.  Owen 
whose  confidence  he  appeared  to  possess,  and  was  here  at  the 
head  of  the  arranging  and  architectural  department,  read  some 
extracts  from  the  newspapers,  upon  which  Mr.  Owen  made  a  very 
good  commentary;  for  example,  upon  the  extension  and  improve- 
ment of  steam-engines,  upon  their  adaptation  to  navigation,  and 
the  advantages  resulting  therefrom.  He  lost  himself,  however, 
in  his  theories,  when  he  expatiated  on  an  article  which  related  to 

*He  was  drowned  in  the  Wabash,  which  he  attempted  to  swim  over  on  horseback. 


430  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

the  experiments  which  had  been  made  with  Perkins's  steam-gun. 
During  these  lectures,  I  made  my  observations  on  the  much 
vaunted  equality,  as  some  tatterdemalions  stretched  themselves 
on  the  platform  close  by  Mr.  Owen.  The  better  educated  mem- 
bers kept  themselves  together,  and  took  no  notice  of  the  others. 
I  remarked  also,  that  the  members  belonging  to  the  higher  class 
of  society  had  put  on  the  new  costume,  and  made  a  party  by  them- 
selves. After  the  lecture  the  band  played  a  march,  each  gentle- 
man took  a  lady,  and  marched  with  her  round  the  room.  Lastly, 
a  cotillion  was  danced:  the  ladies  were  then  escorted  home,  and 
each  retired  to  his  own  quarters. 

I  went  early  on  the  following  morning,  (Sunday,)  to  the 
assembly  room.  The  meeting  was  opened  by  music.  After  this 
Mr.  Owen  stated  a  proposition,  in  the  discussion  of  which  he  spoke 
of  the  advance  made  by  the  society,  and  of  the  location  of  a  new 
community  at  Valley  Forge,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  another  in  the 
.state  of  New  York.  A  classification  of  the  members  was  spoken 
of  afterwards.  They  were  separated  into  three  classes,  first,  of 
such  as  undertook  to  be  security  for  the  sums  due  Mr.  Owen  and 
Mr.  M'Clure,  (that  is,  for  the  amount  paid  to  Rapp,  and  so  ex- 
pended as  a  pledge  to  be  redeemed  by  the  society,)  and  who,  it 
desirous  to  leave  the  society,  must  give  six  months  previous 
notice;  secondly,  of  such  as  after  a  notice  of  fourteen  days  can 
depart;  and,  lastly,  of  those  who  are  received  only  on  trial. 

After  this  meeting,  I  paid  Mr.  M'Clure  a  visit,  and  received 
from  him  the  French  papers.  Mr.  M'Clure  is  old,  childless,  was 
never  married,  and  intends,  as  is  reported,  to  leave  his  property 
to  the  society.  Afterwards  I  went  with  Mr.  Owen,  and  some- 
ladies  of  the  society,  to  walk  to  the  cut-off,  as  it  is  called,  of  the 
Wabash,  where  thiri  river  ha*  formed  a  new  channel,  and  an  island, 
which  contains  more  than  a  hundred  acres  of  the  best  land;  at 
present,  however,  inundated  by  water.  There  is  here  a  sub- 
stantial grist-mill,  erected  by  Rapp,  which  was  said  to  contain 
a  very  good  set  of  machinery,  but  where  we  could  not  reach  it 
on  account  of  the  water.  We  went  some  distance  along  the 
river,  and  then  returned  through  the  woods  over  the  hillo,  which, 
as  it  was  rather  warm,  and  we  could  discover  no  pathway,  was 
very  laborious  to  the  ladies,  who  were  uncommonly  alarmed  at 
the  different  snakes  we  chanced  to  meet.  Most  of  the  serpent 
species  here  are  harmless,  and  the  children  catch  them  for  play- 
things. The  poisonous  snakes  harbouring  about  here,  are  rattle- 
snakes and  copperheads;  these,  however,  diminish  rapidly  in 


KARL  BERNHARD.  431 

numbers,  for  it  is  a  common  observation,  that  the  poisonous 
serpents,  like  the  Indians  and  bears,  fly  before  civilization.  The 
rattlesnakes  have  a  powerful  enemy  in  the  numerous  hogs,  be- 
longing to  the  settlers,  running  about  the  woods,  which  are  very 
well  skilled  in  catching  them  by  the  neck  and  devouring  them. 

In  the  evening  I  paid  visits  to  some  ladies,  and  witnessed 
philosophy  and  the  love  of  equality  put  to  the  severest  trial  with 
one  of  them.  She  is  named  Virginia,  from  Philadelphia;  is  very 
young  and  pretty,  was  delicately  brought  up,  and  appears  to  have 
taken  refuge  here  on  account  of  an  unhappy  attachment.  While 
she  was  singing  and  playing  very  well  on  the  piano  forte,  she  was 
told  that  the  milking  of  the  cows  was  her  duty,  and  that  they  were 
waiting  unmilked.  Almost  in  tears,  she  betook  herself  to  this 
servile  employment,  deprecating  the  new  social  system,  and  its 
so  much  prized  equality. 

After  the  cows  were  milked,  in  doing  which  the  poor  girl  was 
trod  on  by  one,  and  daubed  by  another,  I  joined  an  aquatic  party 
with  the  young  ladies  and  some  young  philosophers,  in  a  very 
good  boat  upon  the  inundated  meadows  of  the  Wabash.  The 
evening  was  beautiful  moonlight,  and  the  air  very  mild;  the  beauti- 
ful Miss  Virginia  forgot  her  stable  sufferings,  and  regaled  us  with 
her  sweet  voice.  Somewhat  later  we  collected  together  in  tha 
house  No.  2,  appointed  for  a  school-house,  where  all  the  young 
ladies  and  gentlemen  of  quality  assembled.  In  spite  of  the  equality 
so  much  recommended,  this  class  of  persons  will  not  mix  with  the 
common  sort,  and  I  believe  that  all  the  well  brought  up  members 
are  disgusted,  and  will  soon  abandon  the  society.  We  amused 
ourselves  exceedingly  during  the  \vhole  remainder  of  the  evening, 
dancing  cotillions,  reels  and  waltzes,  and  with  such  animation  as 
rendered  it  quite  lively.  New  figures  had  been  introduced  among 
the  cotillions,  among  which  is  one  called  the  new  social  system. 
Several  of  the  ladies  made  objections  to  dancing  on  Sunday;  we 
thought  however,  that  in  this  sanctuary  of  philosophy,  such  preju- 
dices should  be  utterly  discarded,  and  our  arguments,  as  well  as 
the  inclination  of  the  ladies,  gained  the  victory. 

On  the  17th  April,  a  violent  storm  arose,  which  collected  such 
clouds  of  dust  together  that  it  was  hardly  possible  to  remain  in 
the  streets,  and  I  remained  at  home  almost  all  day.  I  received 
a  visit  from  a  Mr.  Von  Schott.  This  person,  a  Wurtemburger  by 
birth,  and  brother  of  lady  Von  Mareuil,  in  Washington,  has  settled 
himself  seven  or  eight  miles  from  New  Harmony,  and  lives  a  real 
hermit's  life,  without  a  servant  or  assistant  of  any  kind.  He  was 


432  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

formerly  an  officer  in  the  Wurtemberg  cavalry,  took  his  dis- 
charge, and  went,  from  pure  enthusiasm,  and  over-wrought 
fanaticism,  to  Greece,  to  defend  their  rights.  As  he  there  dis- 
covered himself  to  be  deceived  in  his  anticipations,  he  returned  to 
his  native  country,  and  delivered  himself  up  to  religious  super- 
stition. To  extricate  himself,  in  his  opinion,  from  this  world 
plunged  in  wretchedness,  he  accompanied  his  sister  to  the  United 
States,  came  to  Indiana,  bought  a  piece  of  land  from  Rapp,  by 
whom  he  asserted  he  was  imposed  upon,  and  had  difficulties  to 
undergo,  since  he  knew  nothing  of  agriculture.  He  lived  in  this 
manner  in  the  midst  of  the  forest  with  a  solitary  horse.  A  cruel 
accident  had  befallen  him  the  week  before,  his  stable  with  his 
trusty  horse  was  burnt.  He  appeared  to  be  a  well-informed  man, 
and  spoke  well  and  rationally,  only  when  he  touched  upon  re- 
ligious topics,  his  mind  appeared  to  be  somewhat  deranged.  He 
declared  that  he  supported  all  possible  privations  with  the  greatest 
patience,  only  he  felt  the  want  of  intercourse  with  a  friend  in  his 
solitude. 

To-day  two  companies  of  the  New  Harmony  militia,  paraded 
with  drums  beating,  and  exercised  morning  and  afternoon.  They 
were  all  in  uniform,  well  armed,  and  presented  an  imposing 
front. 

I  was  invited  to  dinner  in  the  house,  No.  4.  Some  gentlemen 
had  been  out  hunting,  and  had  brought  home  a  wild  turkey, 
which  must  be  consumed.  This  turkey  formed  the  whole  dinner. 
Upon  the  whole  I  cannot  complain  either  of  an  overloaded  stomach 
or  a  head-ache  from  the  wine  affecting  it,  in  any  way.  The  living 
was  frugal  in  the  strictest  sense,  and  in  nowise  pleased  the  elegant 
ladies  with  whom  I  dined.  In  the  evening  I  visited"  Mr.  M'Clure 
and  Madam  Fretageot,  living  in  the  same  house.  She  is  a  French- 
woman, who  formerly  kept  a  boarding-school  in  Philadelphia,  and 
is  called  mother  by  all  the  young  girls  here.  The  handsomest  and 
most  polished  of  the  female  world  here,  Miss  Lucia  Saistare  and 
Miss  Virginia,  were  under  her  care.  The  cows  were  milked  this 
evening  when  I  came  in,  and  therefore  we  could  hear  their  per- 
formance on  the  piano  forte,  and  their  charming  voices  in  peace 
and  quiet.  Later  in  the  evening  we  went  to  the  kitchen  of  No.  3, 
where  there  was  a  ball.  The  young  ladies  of  the  better  class  kept 
themselves  in  a  corner  under  Madam  Fretageot's  protection,  and 
formed  a  little  aristocratical  club.  To  prevent  all  possible 
partialities,  the  gentlemen  as  well  as  the  ladies,  drew  numbers 
for  the  cotillion,  and  thus  apportioned  them  equitably.  Our 


KARL  BERXHARD.  433 

3roung  ladies  turned  up  their  noses  apart  at  the  democratic  dancers, 
who  often  in  this  way  fell  to  their  lot.  Although  every  one  was 
pleased  upon  the  whole,  yet  they  separated  at  ten  o'clock,  as  it 
is  necessary  to  rise  early  here.  I  accompanied  Madam  Fre- 
tageot  and  her  twro  pupils  home,  and  passed  some  time  in  conversa- 
tion writh  Mr.  M'Clure  on  his  travels  in  Europe,  which  wrere 
undertaken  with  mineralogical  views.  The  architect,  Mr.  Whit- 
well,  besides  showed  me  to-day  the  plan  of  this  establishment. 
I  admired  particularly  the  judicious  and  economical  arrangements 
for  warming  and  ventilating  the  buildings,  as  well  as  the  kitchens 
and  laundries.  It  would  indeed  be  a  desirable  thing  could  a 
building  on  this  plan  once  be  completed,  and  Mr.  Owen  hopes 
that  the  whole  of  New  Harmony  will  thus  be  arranged. 

On  the  following  day  I  received  a  visit  from  one  of  the  German 
patriots  who  had  entered  the  society,  of  the  name  of  Schmidt, 
who  wished  to  have  been  considered  as  first  lieutenant  in  the 
Prussian  artillery,  at  Erfurt.  He  appeared  to  have  engaged 
in  one  of  the  political  conspiracies  there,  and  to  have  deserted. 
Mr.  Owen  brought  him  from  England  last  autumn  as  a  servant. 
He  was  now  a  member  of  the  society,  and  had  charge  of  the  cattle. 
His  fine  visions  of  freedom  seemed  to  be  very  much  lowered,  for 
he  presented  himself  to  me,  and  his  father  to  Mr.  Huygens,  to  be 
employed  as  servants. 

Towards  evening,  an  Englishman,  a  friend  of  Mr.  Owen,  Mr. 
Applegarth,  arrived,  who  had  presided  over  the  school  in  New 
Lanark,  and  was  to  organize  one  here  in  all  probability.  After 
dinner  I  went  to  walk  with  him  in  the  vinejrard  and  woods.  We 
conversed  much  concerning  the  new  system,  and  the  consequences 
which  he  had  reason  to  expect  would  result,  &c.  and  we  discovered 
amongst  other  things,  that  Mr.  Owen  must  have  conceived  the 
rough  features  of  his  general  system  from  considering  forced 
services  or  statutory  labour;  for  the  labour  imposed  upon  persons 
for  which  they  receive  no  compensation,  would  apply  and  operate 
much  more  upon  them  for  their  lodging,  clothing,  food,  the  educa- 
tion and  care  of  their  children,  &c.  so  that  they  wrould  consider 
their  labour  in  the  light  of  a  corvee.  We  observed  several  labour- 
ers employed  in  loading  bricks  upon  a  cart,  and  they  performed 
this  so  tedious  and  disagreeable  task,  as  a  statutory  labour  im- 
posed on  them  by  circumstances,  and  his  observation  led  us  to 
the  above  reflection.  I  afterwards  visited  Mr.  M'Clure,  and 
entertained  myself  for  an  hour  with  the  instructive  conversation 
of  this  interesting  old  gentleman.  Madam  Fretageot,  who  ap- 

T — 28 


434  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

pears  to  have  considerable  influence  over  Mr.  M'Clure  took  an 
animated  share  in  our  discourse.  In  the  evening  there  was  a  ball 
in  the  large  assembly  room,  at  which  most  of  the  members  were 
present.  It  lasted  only  until  ten  o'clock,  in  dancing  cotillions, 
and  closed  with  a  grand  promenade,  as  before  described.  There 
was  a  particular  place  marked  off  by  benches  for  the  children 
to  dance  on,  in  the  centre  of  the  hall,  where  they  could  gambol 
about  without  running  between  the  legs  of  the  grown  persons. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  a  steam-boat  came  down  the  Wabash, 
bound  for  Louisville  on  the  Ohio.  It  stopt  opposite  Harmony, 
and  sent  a  boat  through  the  overflow  of  water  to  receive  passengers. 
I  was  at  first  disposed  to  embrace  the  opportunity  of  leaving  this 
place,  but  as  I  heard  that  the  boat  was  none  of  the  best,  I  deter- 
mined rather  to  remain  and  go  by  land  to  Mount  Vernon,  to  wait 
for  a  better  steam-boat  there.  We  took  a  walk  to  the  community 
No.  3.  The  work  on  the  house  had  made  but  little  progress; 
we  found  but  one  workman  there,  and  he  was  sleeping  quite  at 
his  ease.  This  circumstance  recalled  the  observation  before 
mentioned,  concerning  gratis-labour,  to  my  mind.  We  advanced 
beyond  into  the  woods,  commencing  behind  'No.  3:  there  was 
still  little  verdure  to  ba  seen. 

On  the  succeeding  day,  I  intended  to  leave  New  Harmony 
early;  but  as  it  was  impossible  to  procure  a  carriage,  I  was  obliged 
to  content  myself.  I  walked  to  the  community  No.  2,  or  Macluria, 
and  farther  into  the  woods.  They  were  employed  in  hewing  down 
trees  to  build  log  houses.  The  wood  used  in  the  brick  and  frams 
houses  here  is  of  the  tulip  tree,  which  is  abundant,  worked  easily, 
and  lasts  long.  After  dinner  I  walked  with  Mr.  Owen  and  Madam 
Fretageot,  to  community  No.  3.  There  a  new  vegetable  garden 
was  opened;  farther  on  they  were  employed  in  preparing  a  field 
in  which  Indian  corn  was  to  be  sown.  This  answers  the  best 
purpose  here,  as  the  soil  is  too  rich  for  wheat;  the  stalks  grow 
too  long,  the  heads  contain  too  few  grains,  and  the  stalks  on 
account  of  their  length  soon  break  down,  so  that  the  crop  is  not 
very  productive.  The  chief  complaint  here  is  on  account  of  the 
too  great  luxuriancy  of  the  soil.  The  trees  are  all  very  large, 
shoot  up  quickly  to  a  great  height,  but  have  so  few,  and  such  weak 
roots,  that  they  are  easily  prostrated  by  a  violent  storm;  they  also 
rot  very  easily,  and  I  met  with  a  great  number  of  hollow  trees, 
in  proportion.  I  saw  them  sow  maize  or  Indian  corn,  for  the 
first  time.  There  were  furrows  drawn  diagonally  across  the 
field  with  the  plough,  each  at  a  distance  of  two  feet  from  the  other; 


KARL  BERNHARD.  435 

then  other  furrows  at  the  same  distance  apart,  at  right  angles 
with  the  first.  A  person  goes  behind  the  plough  with  a  bag  of 
corn,  and  in  each  crossing  of  the  furrows  he  drops  six  grains. 
Another  person  with  a  shovel  follows,  and  covers  these  grains 
with  earth.  When  the  young  plants  are  half  afoot  high,  they  are 
ploughed  between  and  the  earth  thrown  up  on  both  sides  of  the 
plants;  and  when  they  are  two  feet  high  this  operation  is  repeated, 
to  give  them  more  firmness  and  to  destroy  the  weeds.  There 
is  a  want  of  experienced  farmers  here;  the  furrows  were  badly 
made,  and  the  whole  was  attended  to  rather  too  much  en  amateur. 

After  we  returned  to  Madam  Fretageot's,  Mr.  Owen  showed 
me  two  interesting  objects  of  his  invention;  one  of  them  con- 
sisted of  cubes  of  different  sizes,  representing  the  different  classes 
of  the  British  population  in  the  year  1811,  and  showed  what  a 
powerful  burden  rested  on  the  labouring  class,  and  how  desirable 
an  equal  division  of  property  would  be  in  that  kingdom.  The 
other  was  a  plate,  according  to  which,  as  Mr.  Owen  asserted, 
each  child  could  be  shown  his  capabilities,  and  upon  which,  after 
a  mature  self-examination,  he  can  himself  discover  what  progress 
he  has  made.  The  plate  has  this  superscription:  scale  of  human 
faculties  and  qualities  at  birth.  It  has  ten  scales  with  the  follow- 
ing titles:  from  the  left  to  the  right,  self-attachment;  affections; 
judgment;  imagination;  memory;  reflection;  perception;  exci- 
tability; courage;  strength.  Each  scale  is  divided  into  one  hun- 
dred parts,  which  are  marked  from  five  to  five.  A  slide  that 
can  be  moved  up  or  down,  shows  the  measure  of  the  qualities 
therein  specified  each  one  possesses,  or  believes  himself  to  possess. 

I  add  but  a  few  remarks  more.  Mr.  Owen  considers  it  as  an 
absurdity  to  promise  never-ending  love  on  marriage.  For  this 
n -ason  he  has  introduced  the  civil  contract  of  marriage,  after  the 
manner  of  the  Quakers,  and  the  French  laws  into  his  community, 
and  declares  that  the  bond  of  matrimony  is  in  no  way  indis- 
soluble. The  children  indeed,  cause  no  impediment  in  case  of  a 
separation,  for  they  belong  to  the  community  from  their  second 
year,  and  are  all  brought  up  together. 

Mr.  M'Clure  has  shown  himself  a  great  adherent  of  the 
Pestalozzian  system  of  education.  He  had  cultivated  Pesta- 
lozzi's  acquaintance  when  upon  his  travels,  and  upon  this  recom- 
mendation brought  Mr.  Xeef  with  him  to  Philadelphia,  to  carry 
this  system  into  operation.  At  first  it  appeared  to  succeed 
perfectly,  soon  however,  Mr.  Neef  found  so  many  opposers, 
apparently  on  account  of  his  anti-religious  principles,  that  he 


436  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

gave  up  the  business,  and  settled  himself  on  a  farm  in  the  woods 
of  Kentucky.  He  had  just  abandoned  the  farm  to  take  the  head 
of  a  boarding-school,  which  Mr.  M'Clure  intended  to  establish 
in  New  Harmony.  Mr.  Jennings,  formerly  mentioned,  was 
likewise  to  co-operate  in  this  school;  his  reserved  and  haughty 
character  was  ill  suited  for  such  a  situation,  and  Messrs.  Owen 
and  M'Clure  willingly  consented  to  his  withdrawing,  as  he  would 
have  done  the  boarding-school  more  injury,  from  the  bad  reputa- 
tion in  which  he  stood,  than  he  could  have  assisted  it  by  his 
acquirements.  An  Englishman  by  birth,  he  was  brought  up  for  a 
military  life;  this  he  had  forsaken  to  devote  himself  to  clerical 
pursuits,  had  arrived  in  the  United  States  as  a  Universalist  preach- 
er, and  had  been  received  with  much  attention  in  that  capacity 
in  Cincinnati,  till  he  abandoned  himself  with  enthusiasm  to  the 
new  social  system,  and  made  himself  openly  and  publicly  known  as 
an  ATHEIST.* 

I  passed  the  evening  with  the  amiable  Mr.  M'Clure  and 
Madam  Fretageot,  and  became  acquainted  through  them,  with 
a  French  artist,  Mons.  Lesueur,  calling  himself  uncle  of  Miss 
Virginia,  as  also  a  Dutch  physician  from  Herzogenbusch,  Dr. 
Troost,  an  eminent  naturalist.  Both  are  members  of  the  com- 
munity, and  have  just  arrived  from  a  scientific  pedestrian  tour 
to  Illinois  and  the  southern  part  of  Missouri,  where  they  have 
examined  the  iron,  and  particularly  the  lead-mine  works,  as  well 
as  the  peculiarities  of  the  different  mountains.  Mr.  Lesueur  has 
besides  discovered  several  species  of  fish,  as  yet  undescribed. 
He  was  there  too  early  in  the  season  to  catch  many  snakes.  Both 
gentlemen  had  together  collected  thirteen  chests  of  natural 
curiosities,  which  are  expected  here  immediately.  Mr.  Lesueur 
accompanied  the  naturalist  Perron,  as  draftsman  in  his  tour  to 
New  South  Wales,  under  Captain  Baudin,  and  possessed  all  the 
illuminated  designs  of  the  animals  which  were  discovered  for  the 
first  time  on  this  voyage,  upon  vellum.  This  collection  is  unique 
of  its  kind,  either  as  regards  the  interest  of  the  objects  represented, 
or  in  respect- to  their  execution;  and  I  account  myself  fortunate  to 
have  seen  them  through  Mr.  Lesueur's  politeness.  He  showed  me 
also  the  sketches  he  made  while  on  his  last  pedestrian  tour,  as 
well  as  those  during  the  voyage  of  several  members  of  the  society 
to  Mount  Vernon,  down  the  Ohio  from  Pittsburgh.  On  this 
voyage,  the  society  had  many  difficulties  to  contend  with,  and 

*[He  is  at  this  time  advertising  a  boarding  school  in  the  western  country,  on  his 
own  account,  which  is  to  be  under  his  immediate  superintendence.] — TRANS. 


KARL  BERNHARD.  437 

were  obliged  often  to  cut  a  path  for  the  boat  through  the  ice. 
The  sketches  exhibit  the  originality  of  talent  of  the  artist.  He 
had  come  with  Mr.  M'Clure  in  1815,  from  France  to  Philadelphia, 
where  he  devoted  himself  to  the  arts  and  sciences.  Whether 
he  will  remain  long  in  this  society  or  not,  I  cannot  venture  to 
decide.* 

*  *  *  From  the  want  of  a  church  in  Mount  Vernon,  the  meet- 
ing was  held  in  the  court-house.     It  was  a  temporary  log-house, 
which  formed  but  one  room.     The  chimney  fire,  and  two  tallow 
candles  formed  the  whole  illumination  of  it,  and  the  seats  were 
constructed  of  some  blocks  and  boards,  upon  which  upwards  of 
twenty  people  sat.     The  singing  was  conducted  by  a  couple  of 
old  folks,  with  rather  discordant  voices.    The  preacher  then  rose, 
and  delivered  us  a  sermon.     I  could    not   follow    his    discourse 
well,  and  was  very  much  fatigued  by  my  day's  walk.     In  his 
prayer,  however,  the  minister  alluded  to  those  who  despise  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  and  prayed  for  their  conviction  and  conver- 
sion.    This  hint  was  evidently  aimed  at  the  community  in  New 
Harmony  and  the  new  social  system.     In  the  sermon  there  was 
no   such   allusion.     Probably   the    discourse   was   one   of   those, 
which  he  knew  by  heart;  which  he  delivered  in  various  places, 
and   admitted  of  no  interpolations.     The  service  lasted  till  ten 
o'clock  at  night. 

*  *  *  Eleven   miles   and    a   half   higher,    we   saw    Evansville 
upon  an  eminence  upon  the  right  shore,  still  an  inconsiderable 
place,  but  busy;  it  being  the  principal  place  in  the  county  of 
Vandeburg,  in  the  state  of  Indiana,  lying  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  a  body,  of  fertile  land,  and  is  a  convenient  landing  place  for 
emigrants,  who  go  to  the  Wabash  country.    Upon  the  same  shore 
are  seen  several  dwellings  upon  the  fresh  turf,  shaded  by  high 
green   trees.     Close   below   Evansville,    a   small   river  called  Big 
Pigeon  creek  falls  into  the  Ohio.     In  its  mouth  we  saw  several 
flat    boats,    with    apparatus    similar    to    pile-driving    machines. 
These  vessels  belong  to  a  contractor,  who  has  entered  into  an 
engagement  with  the  government,  to  make  the  Ohio  free  and  clear 
of  the  snags  and  sawyers  lying  in  its  current.     This  work  was 
discharged  in  a  negligent  manner,  and  the  officer  to  whom  the 
superintendence  was  committed,  is  censured  for  having  suffered 
himself  to  be  imposed  upon. 

*[He  has  left  it  some  time  since,  as  well  as  Dr.  Troost.l — -TRANS. 


From  Recollections  of  the  last  ten  years,  passed  in  occa- 
sional residences  and  journey  ings  in  the  valley  of  the 
Mississippi,  by  Timothy  Flint  [1826],  pp.  54-60. 

FLINT,  TIMOTHY. 

Perhaps  the  foremost  authority  on  the  early  life  and  history  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley  was  Timothy  Flint.  He  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  in 
1780.  Graduating  from  Harvard,  he  entered  the  ministry,  but  later  resigned — 
1814 — and  entered  upon  missionary  work.  His  territory  was  extensive, 
covering  the  greater  part  of  the  Mississippi  valley.  At  different  times,  his 
headquarters  were  at  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis  and  New  Orleans.  His  extensive 
travel  brought  him  in  contact  with  all  classes  of  people,  in  all  aspects  of 
society.  He  saw  the  first  steamboat  that  descended  the  Mississippi  river. 
He  witnessed  the  rapid  changes  occurring  in  the  West  following  the  close  of 
the  second  war  with  England.  When  his  "Recollections"  were  published, 
they  were  read  with  keen  interest.  His  efforts  were  directed  toward  bring- 
ing the  people  of  the  west  together  and  acquainting  them  with  each  other. 
The  important  feature  of  his  work  was  that  most  of  it  was  original.  This 
made  it  one  of  the  most  dearly  prized  accounts  of  the  early  western  life. 

Having  exhausted  the  immediate  interest  of  the  most  promi- 
nent objects  of  curiosity  in  Cincinnati  and  its  vicinity,  at  the 
commencement  of  March,  I  set  out  on  a  proposed  tour  through 
the  state  of  Indiana,  on  its  front  upon  Ohio,  and  then  crossing 
the  Ohio,  to  return  to  my  family,  through  the  state  of  Kentucky. 
The  weather  was  mild,  and  the  buds  of  the  trees  and  shrubs  were 
beginning  to  swell.  The  previous  weather,  from  the  tenth  of 
December,  had  been  more  than  usually  severe.  The  mercury 
had  frequently  fallen  below  cypher.  The  people  had  a  way  of 
accounting  for  this  as  they  had  for  many  other  calamities,  by  saying, 
that  the  hard  winter  had  been  imported  by  the  Yankees,  of  whom 
unusual  numbers  had  arrived  the  preceding  autumn  and  winter. 
The  Big  Miami  was  the  limit  on  the  front,  between  the  state  of 
Ohio,  and  the  then  territory  of  Indiana.  General  Harrison's 
fine  plantation  is  in  the  delta,  which  this  river  makes  with  the 
Ohio.  Having  crossed  this  river  into  Indiana,  I  found  myself  on 
the  vast  and  fertile  bottom  made  by  the  two  rivers.  I  descended 
this  bottom  to  Lawrenceburg,  at  this  time  one  of  the  principal 
villages  in  the  territory.  The  soil  here,  and  for  a  considerable 
distance  on  all  sides,  is  highly  fertile,  but  exposed  to  inundation, 
which,  together  with  its  having  a  character  for  unhealthiness, 

(438) 


TIMOTHY  FLINT.  439 

has  hitherto  kept  this  place  in  the  back  ground.  The  position 
evidently  calls  for  a  considerable  town. 

I  here  obtained  letters  of  introduction  through  the  territory, 
and  the  next  morning  I  plunged  into  the  deep  forest  below  this 
town.  I  remember  well  the  brightness  and  beauty  of  the  morn- 
ing. A  white  frost  had  covered  the  earth  the  preceding  night. 
Dense  white  banks  of  fog,  brilliantly  illuminated  by  a  cloudless 
sun,  hung  over  the  Ohio.  The  beautiful  red-bird,  that  raises 
its  finest  song  on  a  morning  like  this,  was  raising  its  mellow 
whistle  among  the  copses.  Columns  of  smoke  rose  from  the  cabins 
amidst  the  trees  into  the  higher  regions  of  the  atmosphere,  a 
cheerful  accompaniment  to  all  similar  scenery,  and  which  has 
impressed  me,  in  its  echoes  ringing  and  dying  away  in  the  dis- 
tant forests,  as  having  a  very  peculiar  effect  in  the  deep  bottoms 
of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi,  is  the  loud  and  continued  barking 
of  the  numerous  packs  of  dogs  that  are  kept  there.  They  evi- 
dently feel  animated  by  the  cheering  influence  of  such  a  morning, 
feel  that  these  vast  forests  are  their  proper  range;  and  by  these 
continued  barkings  that  echo  through  the  woods,  they  seem  to 
invite  their  masters  to  the  hunt  and  the  chase. 

On  the  margin  of  a  considerable  stream,  whose  name,  I  think, 
is  the  Hogan,  a  sufficiently  barbarous  name,  I  encountered  the 
first  bear  that  I  had  met  in  the  woods.  He  seemed  as  little  dis- 
posed to  make  acquaintance  with  me,  as  I  with  him. 

In  this  whole  day's  ride,  I  was  continually  coming  in  view  of 
new  cabins,  or  wagons,  the  inmates  of  which  had  not  yet  sheltered 
themselves  in  cabins.  Whenever  my  course  led  me  from  the  bot- 
toms of  the  Ohio,  I  found  the  bluffs,  which  invariably  skirt  the 
bottoms,  very  ridgy,  and  the  soil  but  indifferent,  and  of  what  is 
here  classed  as  second  rate,  and  covered  generally  with  a  species 
of  oak,  called  post  oak,  indicating  a  cold,  spungy,  and  wet  soil; 
into  which,  softened  as  it  was  by  the  frost  coming  out  of  it,  my 
horse  sunk  at  every  step  up  to  the  fetlocks;  yet  in  this  com- 
paratively poor  and  ridgy  soil,  I  could  hear  on  all  sides  the  settler's 
axe  resounding,  and  the  dogs  barking, — sure  indications,  that  the 
land  had  been,  as  the  phrase  is,  "taken  up." 

Few  incidents,  that  occur  to  me  as  matters  of  interest,  remain 
on  my  memory  of  this  long  trip  on  the  Indiana  shore.  Most 
of  the  newly  arrived  settlers  that  I  addressed,  were  from  Yankee 
land.  As  usual,  I  refer  you  to  books,  that  treat  professedly 
upon  that  subject  for  precise  geographical  information.  The 
inhabitants  tell  me,  that,  notwithstanding  I  see  so  much  ordinary 


440  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

land  in  this  extent  upon  the  Ohio,  there  are  vast  bodies  of  the 
richest  land  in  it,  particularly  up  the  Wabash  and  its  waters, 
where  the  prairies  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Harrison  are  said  to 
vie  with  the  richest  and  most  beautiful  of  the  Illinois  and  Missouri. 
The  greater  portion  of  the  fertile  lands  was  as  yet  unredeemed 
from  the  Indians.  The  country  was  evidently  settling  with 
great  rapidity.  The  tide  of  emigration  from  the  northeast  was 
setting  farther  west.  Ohio  had  already  received  its  first  tide 
and  the  wave  was  rolling  onward.  The  southern  portion  of  the 
emigration  seemed  to  entertain  no  small  apprehension,  that  this 
also  would  be  a  Yankee  state.  Indeed  the  population  was  very 
far  from  being  in  a  state  of  mind,  of  sentiment,  and  affectionate 
mutual  confidence,  favourable  to  commencing  their  lonely  condi- 
tion in  the  woods  in  harmonious  intercourse.  They  were  form- 
ing a  state  government.  The  question  in  all  its  magnitude, 
whether  it  should  be  a  slave-holding  state  or  not,  was  just  now 
agitating.  I  was  often  compelled  to  hear  the  question  debated 
by  those  in  opposite  interests,  with  no  small  degree  of  asperity. 
Many  fierce  spirits  talked,  as  the  clamorous  and  passionate  are 
accustomed  to  talk  in  such  cases,  about  opposition  and  "resistance 
unto  blood."  But  the  preponderance  of  more  sober  and  re- 
flecting views,  those  habits  of  order  and  quietness  that  aversion 
to  shedding  blood,  which  so  generally  and  so  honorably  apper- 
tain to  the  American  character  and  institutions,  operated  in  these 
wildernesses,  among  these  inflamed  and  bitter  spirits,  with  all 
their  positiveness,  ignorance,  and  clashing  feeling  ,  and  with  all 
their  destitution  of  courts,  and  the  regular  course  of  settled  laws 
to  keep  them  from  open  violence.  The  question  was  not  long  after 
finally  settled  in  peace. 

From  the  observations,  which  I  made,  which  were  however 
partial,  and  confined  to  the  southern  front  of  the  state,  I  should 
have  placed  this  state,  in  point  of  qualities  of  soil,  behind  Ohio, 
Illinois  or  Missouri.  But  it  is  here  a  general  impression,  that  this 
state  had  large  districts  of  the  most  fertile  character.  These 
tracts  are  admitted,  as  a  melancholy  drawback,  appended  to 
this  great  advantage,  to  be  sickly.  At  the  time  I  am  writing, 
this  state  is  supposed  to  contain  nearly  three  hundred  thousand 
inhabitants,  a  rate  of  increase  considerably  more  rapid,  than  that 
of  the  states  still  farther  west.  It  has  a  very  extended  front  on 
the  Ohio,  extends  back  to  the  lakes,  and  its  central  outlet  is  the 
Wabash,  a  river  highly  favourable  to  boat  navigation.  At  a 
considerable  distance  up  this  river  is  Vincennes,  which,  when  I 


TIMOTHY  FLINT.  441 

was  there  was  the  principal  village  in  the  state.  It  is  situated 
pleasantly  on  the  Wabash,  surrounded  by  a  beautiful  and  ex- 
tensive prairie.  This  place  is  now  surpassed  by  Vevay,  which 
has  grown  to  be  a  considerable  town.  It  possesses  circumstances 
of  peculiar  interest.  When  I  was  there,  the  village  had  just 
commenced.  I  was  lodged  in  the  house  of  a  respectable  Swiss 
gentleman,  who  had  married  a  wife  from  Kentucky.  Such  are 
the  unions  that  result  from  bringing  together  the  mountaineers  of 
Switzerland,  and  the  native  daughters  of  the  west.  The  people 
were  prompt  and  general  in  attending  divine  service.  The  next 
evening,  there  was  a  warned  meeting  of  the  inhabitants,  and  the 
object  was  to  locate  the  town-house,  a  market,  and  first,  second 
and  third  streets.  I  attended  the  meeting.  The  night  was 
dark  and  rainy.  The  deep  and  rich  bottom,  the  trees  of  which 
had  but  just  been  cut  down,  was  so  muddy,  that  my  feet  sunk  at 
every  step  in  the  mud.  Huge  beech  and  sycamore  trunks  of 
trees  so  impeded  these  avenues  and  streets,  that  were  to  be,  that 
I  doubt  if  a  chaise  could  have  made  its  way,  by  day  light  and  the 
most  careful  driving,  amidst  the  logs,  when  you  hear  about 
market-houses,  and  seminaries,  and  streets  No.  1,  2,  and  3,  in 
the  midst  of  a  wilderness  of  fallen  logs,  you  will  have  some 
idea  of  the  language  appropriate  to  a  kind  of  speculation,  almost 
peculiar  to  this  country,  that  is  to  say,  town-making.  You  will 
infer  from  this,  too,  what  magnificent  ideas  these  people  have 
with  respect  to  the  future.  I  learned  in  recently  ascending  the 
Ohio,  that  these  splendid  anticipations  are  now  realized,  that 
the  town-house,  market,  and  streets  actually  exist,  and  that 
instead  of  huge  sycamore  trunks,  they  have  now  blocks  of  brick 
buildings.  Its  relative  position,  with  respect  to  the  state,  and  to 
Cincinnati  and  Louisville,  is  favourable  to  its  future  advance- 
ment. 

But  what  gave  peculiar  interest  to  this  place  was,  that  it  was 
the  resort  of  a  flourishing  colony  from  Vevay  in  Switzerland. 
Although  this  people  could  not  bring  here  their  glaciers  and  their 
Alps,  in  affectionate  remembrance  of  their  ancient  home,  they 
have  brought  hither  their  vines,  their  "simulatam  Trojam," 
their  Vevay  on  the  Ohio  in  the  midst  of  American  forests.  I  had 
seen  vineyards  in  Kentucky  on  a  small  scale.  But  this  experi- 
ment on  such  a  noble  scale,  so  novel  in  America,  was  to  me  a  most 
interesting  spectacle.  I  was  delighted  with  the  frank  and  amiable 
character  of  the  inhabitants,  giving  me  back  the  images  and  recol- 
lections of  them,  from  early  reading.  At  that  time  they  princi- 


442  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

pally  cultivated  a  blue  grape,  which,  I  think,  they  called  the  "cape 
grape."  The  wine  from  that  grape  was  not  pleasant  to  me, 
though  connoisseurs  assured  me,  that  it  only  wanted  age  to  be  a 
rich  wine.  A  position  more  unlike  that,  in  which  they  had  culti- 
vated the  wine  in  their  own  country,  could  scarcely  be  found. 
There  they  reared  it  on  sharp  declivities  of  gravelly  soil,  levelled 
in  terraces.  It  was  here  on  a  bottom  of  a  loamy  and  extremely 
rich  soil,  on  a  surface  perfectly  level,  and  at  the  foot  of  a  high 
bluff.  The  vine  grows  here,  indeed,  in  the  rankest  luxuriance, 
and  needs  severe  pruning.  It  overloads  itself  with  an  exuber- 
ance of  clusters,  which  still  want  the  high  and  racy  flavour  of  the 
grape  of  the  hills  of  Switzerland.  But  they  are  introducing  other 
vines,  particularly  the  sweet  water-grape  of  Madeira.  The  culti- 
vation is  understood  at  this  time  to  be  in  a  very  prosperous 
state.  From  what  I  have  seen,  I  believe  it  would  prosper  still 
more,  if  they  should  cultivate  a  grape,  more  indigenous  to  the 
soil;  the  "pine  woods"  grape  of  Louisiana,  or  the  rich  grape  of 
Texas. 

At  a  small  town  at  the  mouth  of  Kentucky  river,  I  crossed  into 
that  state. 


From  A  condensed  geography  and  history  of  the  western 
states,  or  the  Mississippi  valley,  by  Timothy  Flint 
[1828],  Vol.  II.,  pp.  136-172. 

INDIANA. 

LENGTH,  250.— Breadth,  150  miles.  Between  37°  47'  and 
41°  50'  N.  Latitude;  and  7°  45'  and  11°  W.  longitude.  Bounded 
north  by  Michigan  territory  and  lake.  West  by  the  state  of 
Illinois.  South  by  the  Ohio,  which  divides  it  from  Kentucky; 
East  by  the  state  of  Ohio. 

The  whole  of  this  state  belongs  to  the  valley  of  the  Ohio,  or 
lake  Michigan.  It  is  the  first  of  the  states,  in  advancing  towards 
the  east,  and  the  north,  where  nature  seems  to  have  divided  her 
surface  between  prairie  and  wood  land.  The  greater  proportion 
of  this  state  is  clearly  timbered  country.  Here,  too,  we  first 
find  the  number  and  manners  of  northern  people  predominating 
among  the  immigrants.  Here  we  first  discover,  in  many  places, 
a  clear  ascendency  of  New  England  dialect,  manners  and  popula- 
tion. Here,  too,  we  discover  the  natural  tendency  of  this  order 
of  things,  and  this  class  of  immigrants  rapidly,  and  yet  silently 
to  fill  the  country  with  inhabitants.  Missouri  and  Illinois  have 
occupied  a  greater  space  in  public  estimation,  in  newspaper 
description,  and  in  general  notoriety.  The  immigration  to  those 
states  has  been  with  four  or  six  horse  wagons,  with  large  droves 
of  cattle,  with  considerable  numbers  of  negroes,  and  composed 
of  immigrants,  who  had  name  and  standing,  who  were  heads  of 
families,  when  they  removed,  and  whose  immigration  was  ac- 
companied with  a  certain  degree  of  eclat.  Of  course  the  immigra- 
tion of  a  few  families  was  attended  with  circumstances,  which 
gave  it  public  notoriety.  The  immigration  to  this  state  has  been 
generally  of  a  different  character.  It  has  been  for  the 
most  part  composed  of  young  men,  either  unmarried  or 
without  families.  It  has  been  noiseless,  and  unnoticed.  But 
the  difference  of  the  result  strikes  us  with  surprize.  While  the 
population  of  neither  of  these  states  exceeds  80,000,  the  population 
of  this  state,  at  this  time,  is  supposed  to  exceed  200,000. 

Face  of  the  country,  soil,  &c.  The  South  front  of  this  state  is 
skirted  with  the  usual  belt  of  river  hills,  bluffs  and  knobs,  known 
here  by  the  name  of  "Ohio  hills."  They  occupy  a  greater  or 

(443) 


444  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

less  distance  from  the  river;  sometimes  leaving  between  their 
base  and  the  river,  a  bottom  of  two  or  three  miles  in  width;  and 
sometimes,  and  for  no  inconsiderable  part  of  the  whole  length  of 
the  southern  boundary,  they  tower  directly  from  the  waters  of 
the  Ohio.  They  have  a  thousand  aspects  of  grandeur  and  beauty, 
often  rising  higher,  than  300  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river;  and 
the  eye  of  the  southern  traveller,  ascending  the  Ohio,  which  has 
been  used  to  rest  on  bottoms  boundless  to  vision,  on  swamps  and 
plains,  and  regions  without  a  rock  or  a  hill  in  the  scenery,  never 
tires,  in  surveying  these  beautiful  bluffs,  especially  in  the  spring, 
when  their  declivities  are  crimsoned  with  the  red  bud,  or  whitened 
with  the  brilliant  blossoms  of  the  dog  wood,  or  rendered  verdant 
with  the  beautiful  May  apple. 

A  range  of  knobs,  stretching  from  the  Ohio  to  White  river  of 
the  Wabash,  forms  the  limits  of  the  table  lands,  that  separate 
the  waters  of  the  Ohio  from  those  of  White  river.  North  of  the 
Wabash,  between  Tippicanoe  and  Ouitanon,  the  Wabash  hills 
are  precipitous,  and  a  considerable  extent  of  country  is  rough  and 
broken.  There  are,  in  different  parts  of  the  state,  considerable 
extents  of  country  that  may  be  pronounced  hilly.  Such  is  the 
south  front  of  the  state  to  a  considerable  distance  from  the  Ohio. 
There  are  not  such  extensive  plains  in  this  state,  as  in  Illinois.  Nor  are 
there  any  hills  to  vie  in  height  with  those  back  of  Shawneetown. 
But,  with  some  few  exceptions,  the  greater  proportion  of  this 
state  may  be  pronounced  one  vast  level.  To  particularize  the 
level  tracts  would  be  to  describe  three  fifths  of  the  state.  The 
prairies  here,  as  elsewhere,  are  uniformly  level.  The  wide  extent 
of  country,  watered  by  White  river,  is  generally  level.  The 
prairies  have  the  usual  distinction  of  being  high,  and  low,  swampy 
and  alluvial.  For  a  wide  extent  on  the  north  front  of  the  state, 
between  the  Wabash  and  lake  Michigan  the  country  is  generally 
an  extended  plain,  alternately  prairie  and  timbered  land;  with 
a  great  proportion  of  swampy  lands,  and  small  lakes  and  ponds. 
The  prairies  are  no  ways  different  from  those  of  Illinois.  They 
are  alike,  rich,  level,  and  covered  with  grass  and  flowering  plants. 
Some  of  them,  like  those  of  Illinois  and  Missouri,  are  broader 
than  can  be  measured  by  the  eye.  Their  divisions  are  marked 
off,  wherever  streams  cross  them,  by  belts  of  timbered  land.  All 
the  rivers  of  this  state  have  remarkably  wide  alluvions.  Every 
traveller  has  spoken  with  admiration  of  the  beauty  and  fertility 
of  the  prairies  along  the  course  of  the  Wabash,  particularly  of 
those  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Harrison.  We  have  heard  competent 


TIMOTHY  FLINT.  445 

judges,  who  have  had  opportunities  of  comparison,  prefer  the 
prairies  on  this  part  of  the  river,  both  for  beauty  and  fertility  to 
those  of  the  Illinois,  and  the  upper  Mississippi.  Perhaps  no  part 
of  the  western  world  can  show  greater  extents  of  rich  lands  in 
one  body,  than  that  extent  of  the  White  river  country,  of  which 
Indianapolis  is  the  centre. — Judging  of  Indiana,  from  travelling 
through  the  south  front,  from  twelve  to  twenty  miles  from  the 
Ohio,  we  should  not,  probably,  compare  it  with  Ohio  or  Illinois. 
But  now,  that  the  greater  part  of  the  territory  is  purchased  of 
the  Indians,  and  that  all  is  surveyed,  and  well  understood,  it  is 
found,  that  this  state  possesses  as  large  a  proportion  of  first  rate 
lands,  as  any  in  the  western  country.  With  some  few  exceptions 
of  wide  and  naked  prairies,  the  divisions  of  timbered  and  prairie 
lands  are  more  happily  balanced,  than  in  other  parts  of  the  western 
country.  Many  rich  prairies  are  long  and  narrow,  so  that  the 
whole  can  be  taken  up,  and  yet  timber  be  easily  accessible  by  all 
the  settlers. — There  are  hundreds  of  prairies  only  large  enough 
for  a  few  farms.  Even  in  the  large  prairies  there  are  those  beauti- 
ful islands  of  timbered  land,  which  form  such  a  striking  feature  in 
the  western  prairies.  The  great  extents  of  fertile  land,  the  happy 
distribution  of  rivers  and  springs  may  be  one  reason  for  the 
unexampled  rapidity,  with  which  this  state  has  peopled.  Another 
reason  may  be,  that  being  a  non-slaveholding  state,  and  next 
in  position  beyond  Ohio,  it  was  happily  situated  to  arrest  the  tide 
of  immigration,  that  set  beyond  Ohio,  after  that  state  was  filled. 

But  as  one  of  the  chief  objects,  in  such  a  work  as  this,  must 
necessarily  be,  to  point  out  the  relative  position  and  quality  of 
the  first  rate  lands,  we  shall,  perhaps,  be  least  likely  to  confuse 
the  reader,  by  adding  a  few  remarks  in  a  single  view,  upon  the 
qualities  of  the  soil,  upon  the  several  rivers,  and  near  the  several 
towns,  which  we  shall  describe  in  the  progress  of  our  remarks. 
The  forest  trees,  shrubs,  plants  and  grasses  do  not  materially 
differ  from  those  of  Illinois  and  Missouri.  There  is  one  specific 
difference  that  should  be  noted.  There  is  a  much  greater  pro- 
portion of  beech  timber,  which  increases  so  much,  as  we  advance 
east  that  in  Ohio,  it  is  clearly  the  principal  kind  of  timber.  This 
state  is  equally  fertile  in  corn,  rye,  oats,  barley,  wheat  and  the 
cereal  gramma  in  general.  Vast  quantities  of  the  richer  prairies 
and  bottoms  are  too  rich  for  wrheat,  until  the  natural  wild  lux- 
uriance of  tendency  in  the  soil  has  been  reduced  by  cropping. 
Upland  rice  has  been  attempted  with  success.  Some  of  the  warm 
and  sheltered  valleys  have  yielded,  in  favorable  years,  consider- 


446  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

able  crops  of  cotton.  No  country  can  exceed  this  in  its  adapted- 
ness  for  rearing  the  finest  fruits  and  fruit  bearing  shrubs.  Wild 
berries,  in  many  places  are  abundant ;  and  on  some  of  the  prairies, 
the  strawberries  are  large,  rich  and  abundant.  It  is  affirmed, 
that  in  the  northern  parts  of  this  state  in  the  low  prairies,  whole 
tracts  are  covered  with  the  beautiful  fowl-meadow  grass,  poa 
pratensis,  of  the  north.  It  is  a  certain  and  admitted  fact,  that 
wherever  the  Indians,  or  the  French  have  inhabited,  long  enough 
to  destroy  the  natural  prairie  grass,  which,  it  is  well  known,  is 
soon  eradicated,  by  being  pastured  by  the  domestic  animals, 
that  surround  a  farmer's  barn,  this  grass  is  replaced  by  the  blue 
grass  of  the  western  country,  which  furnishes  not  only  a  verdant 
and  beautiful  sward,  but  covers  the  earth  with  a  perfect  mat  of 
rich  fodder,  not  unlike  the  second  crop,  which  is  cut  in  the  northern 
states,  as  the  most  valuable  kind  of  fodder.  For  all  the  objects 
of  farming,  and  raising  grain,  flour,  hemp,  tobacco,  cattle,  sheep, 
swine,  horses,  and  generally  the  articles  of  the  northern  and 
middle  states,  immigrants  could  not  desire  a  better  country,  than 
may  be  found  in  Indiana.  In  the  rich  bottoms  in  the  southern 
parts,  the  reed  cane,  and  uncommonly  large  ginseng  are  abun- 
dant. 

Climate,  &c.  Little  need  be  said  upon  this  head;  for  this 
state,  situated  in  nearly  the  same  parallels  with  Illinois  and  Mis- 
souri, has  much  the  same  temperature.  That  part  of  it,  which  is 
contiguous  to  lake  Michigan,  is  more  subject  to  copious  and  fre- 
quent rains;  and  being  otherwise  low  and  marshy,  much. of  the 
land  becomes  too  wet  for  cultivation.  Some  have  described  the 
country  and  climate,  near  lake  Michigan,  as  productive  and 
delightful. — Neither  the  soil,  timber,  nor  the  experiments  of  the 
inhabitants,  that  have  attempted  cultivation  here,  justify  these 
descriptions.  For  a  considerable  distance  from  the  lake,  sand 
heaps  covered  with  a  few  stinted  junipers,  and  swept  by  the  cold, 
dreary  and  desolating  gales  of  the  lake,  give  no  promise  of  a  fine 
country  or  climate.  But  beyond  the  influence  of  the  lake  breeze, 
the  climate  is  cool,  mild  and  temperate.  The  state  in  general  is 
somewhat  less  exposed  to  the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  than 
Illinois. 

In  point  of  salubrity,  we  can  do  no  more  than  repeat  the  re- 
marks, which  have  so  often  been  found  applicable  to  the  western 
country  in  general,  and  which  from  the  nature  of  things  must 
apply  to  all  countries.  The  high  and  rolling  regions  of  this  state 
are  as  healthy,  as  the  same  kind  of  lands  is  found  to  be  in  the  other 


TIMOTHY  FLINT.  447 

parts  of  the  United  States.  The  wet  prairies,  the  swampy  lands, 
the  tracts  that  are  contiguous  to  the  small  lakes  and  ponds,  deep 
and  inundated  bottoms,  intersected  by  bayous,  generate  fever  and 
ague,  and  autumnal  fevers,  and  create  a  bilious  tendency  in  all 
the  disorders  of  the  country.  The  beautiful  prairies  above 
Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash,  in  the  neighborhood  of  fort  Harrison 
and  Tippicanoe,  are  found  to  have  an  unfavorable  balance  against 
their  fertility,  the  beauty  of  their  appearance,  and  the  ease,  with 
which  they  are  cultivated,  in  their  insalubrity.  That  the  settlers 
in  general  have  found  this  state,  taken  as  a  whole,  favorable  to 
health,  the  astonishing  increase  of  the  population  bears  ample 
testimony. 

The  winters  are  mild,  compared  with  those  of  New  England, 
or  even  Pennsylvania.  Winter  commences,  in  its  severity  about 
Christmas,  and-  lasts  seldom  more  than  six  weeks.  During  this 
time  in  most  seasons,  the  rivers,  that  have  not  very  rapid  currents, 
are  frozen.  Though  winters  occur,  in  which  the  Wabash  can 
not  be  crossed  upon  the  ice.  About  the  middle  of  February,  the 
severity  of  winter  is  past.  In  the  northern  parts  of  the  state 
snow  sometimes,  though  rarely,  falls  a  foot  and  a  half  in  depth. 
In  the  middle  and  southern  parts,  it  seldom  falls  more  than  six 
inches.  Peach  trees  are  generally  in  blossom  early  in  March. 
The  forests  begin  to  be  green  from  the  5th  to  the  15th  of  April. 
Vast  numbers  of  flowering  shrubs  are  in  full  flower,  before  they 
are  in  leaf,  which  gives  an  inexpressible  charm  to  the  early  ap- 
pearance of  spring.  Vegetation  is  liable  to  be  injured  both  by 
early  and  late  frosts. 

Chief  towns.  Character  of  the  country,  in  which  they  are  situ- 
ated, &c.  None  of  the  western  states  have  shown  a  greater 
propensity  for  town  making,  than  this.- — Nature  has  furnished 
it  with  so  many  delightful  sites  for  towns,  that  their  very  fre- 
quency subtract  from  the  importance  of  any  individual  position. 
In  no  part  of  the  world  has  the  art  of  trumpeting,  and  lauding 
the  advantages,  conveniences  and  future  prospects,  of  the  town 
to  be  sold,  been  carried  to  greater  perfection.  To  mention,  in 
detail,  all  the  villages,  that  have  really  attained  some  degree  of 
consequence,  would  only  furnish  a  barren  catalogue  of  names. 
We  will  mention  the  chief  of  these  on  the  Ohio,  in  descending 
order,  beginning  with  Lawrenceburg  on  the  southeastern  angle 
of  the  state. 

This  town  is  the  seat  of  justice  for  the  county  of  Dearborn. 
It  stands  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Ohio,  twenty-three  miles  below 


448  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Cincinnati,  and  two  below  the  Big  Miami,  which  is  the  eastern 
limit  of  the  state.  This  town  is  in  the  centre  of  a  rich  and  deep 
bottom.  The  ancient  village  was  built  on  the  first  bottom, 
which  was  frequently  exposed  to  inundation.  It  is  not  uncommon 
for  the  water  to  rise  four  or  five  feet  above  the  foundations  of  the 
houses  and  stores,  in  which  case  the  inhabitants  remove  to  the 
upper  story,  and  drive  their  domestic  animals  to  the  hills.  Visits 
and  tea  parties  are  projected  in  the  inundated  town;  and  the  ve- 
hicles of  transport  are  skiffs  and  periogues. — The  period  of  the 
flood,  from  ancient  custom,  and  from  the  suspension  of  all  the 
customary  pursuits,  has  become  a  time  of  carnival.  The  floods, 
instead  of  creating  disease,  wash  the  surface  of  the  earth,  carry 
off  vegetable  and  animal  matter,  that  would  otherwise  putrify, 
and  are  supposed  to  be  rather  conducive  to  health  than  other- 
wise. The  old  town,  built  on  the  first  bank,  had  been  stationary 
for  many  years.  New  Lawrenceburg  has  been  recently  built 
on  the  second  bank,  and  on  elevated  ground,  formed  by  the  bank 
of  Tanner's  creek.  Since  the  commencement  of  this  town,  few 
places  have  made  more  rapid  progress. — Many  of  the  new  houses 
are  handsome;  and  some  of  them  make  a  splendid  show  from  the 
river.  Its  position,  in  relation  to  the  river,  and  the  rich  adjacent 
country,  and  the  Big  Miami  is  highly  eligible.  It  has  a  number  of 
respectable  commencing  manufactories,  and  promises  to  be  a 
large  town. 

Aurora  is  a  new  village,  at  the  mouth  of  Hogan  creek,  four 
miles  below,  on  the  Ohio.  It  contains  between  sixty  and  seventy 
dwellings.  Rising  Sun,  thirteen  miles  below  Lawrenceburg, 
occupies  a  beautiful  position  on  the  Ohio,  and  is  a  village  some- 
thing larger,  than  Aurora. 

Vevay  is  the  seat  of  justice  for  Switzerland  county,  and  is 
situated  eight  miles  above  the  point,  opposite  the  mouth  of 
Kentucky  river,  and  forty-five  miles  below  Cincinnati.  It  con- 
tains between  two  and  three  hundred  houses,  a  court  house,  jail, 
academy,  a  printing  office,  from  which  issues  a  weekly  journal,  a 
branch  of  the  bank  of  Indiana,  and  some  other  public  buildings. 
This  interesting  town  was  commenced  in  1804,  by  thirty  Swiss 
families,  to  whom  the  United  States  made  a  grant,  under  par- 
ticular and  favorable  stipulations,  of  a  considerable  tract  of  land, 
to  patronize  the  cultivation  of  the  vine.  The  patriarch  of  this^ 
colony  was  a  Swiss  gentleman  of  the  name  of  J.  J.  Dufour,  who 
has  continued  an  active  and  intelligent  friend  to  the  town  ever 
since.  The  colony  soon  received  considerable  accessions  from 


TIMOTHY  FLINT.  449 

the  mountains  of  Switzerland.  In  grateful  remembrance  of  their 
native  hills,  and  to. create  in  the  bosom  of  their  adopted  country 
tender  associations  with  their  ancient  country,  they  named  their 
stream  Venoge,  and  their  town  Vevay.  Messrs.  Dufour,  Morerod, 
Bettens,  Siebenthal,  and  others,  commenced  the  cultivation  of 
the  grape  on  a  large  scale.  This  cultivation  has  gone  on  steadily 
increasing.  An  hundred  experiments  have  been  since  commenced, 
in  different  points  of  the  West.  But  this  still  remains  the  largest 
vineyard  in  the  United  States. — We  have  witnessed  nothing  in 
our  country,  in  the  department  of  gardening  and  cultivation, 
which  can  compare  with  the  richness  of  this  vineyard,  in  the 
autumn,  when  the  clusters  are  in  maturity.  Words  feebly  paint 
such  a  spectacle.  The  horn  of  plenty  seems  to  have  been  emptied 
in  the  production  of  this  rich  fruit.  We  principally  remarked  the 
blue  or  Cape  grape  and  the  Madiera  grape.  The  wine  of  the 
former  has  been  preferred  to  the  Claret  of  Bordeaux.  The  fruit 
seems  to  have  a  tendency  to  become  too  succulent,  and  abundant. 
It  is  now  supposed  that  some  of  our  native  grapes  will  more 
easily  acclimate  to  the  country  and  soil,  and  make  a  better  wine. 
These  amiable,  industrious  and  intelligent  people  are  constantly 
profiting  by  the  benefit  of  experience.  This  species  of  agriculture 
already  yields  them  a  better  profit  than  any  other  practised  in 
our  country.  They  are  every  year  improving  on  the  vintage  of 
the  past.  They  are  the  simple,  amiable,  and  intelligent  people 
that  we  might  expect  from  the  prepossessions  of  early  reading, 
from  the  vine  clad  hills  of  Switzerland.  They  are  mostly  protes- 
tants  in  their  worship.  They  happily  compound  the  vivacity  of 
the  French  with  the  industry  of  the  Germans.  Like  the  former, 
they  love  gaiety  and  dancing.  Like  the  latter,  they  easily  fall  in 
with  the  spirit  of  our  institutions,  love  our  country  and  its  laws; 
intermarry  with  our  people,  and  are  in  all  respects  a  most  amiable 
people.  They  have  a  considerable  number  of  professional  men 
in  Vevay;  a  public  library,  a  literary  society,  and  many  of  the 
comforts  and  improvements  of  a  town.  Mr.  Dufour  has  dis- 
tinguished himself  by  agricultural  publications,  particularly  upon 
the  culture  of  the  vine.  This  industrious  people  have  created 
some  manufactures  peculiar  to  themselves,  particularly  that  of 
straw  bonnets.  The  position  of  the  town  is  extremely  fortunate, 
in  relation  to  the  back  country,  and  the  other  interior  large  towns. 
It  is  equi-distant  from  Lexington,  Louisville  and  Cincinnati, 
being  forty-five  miles  from  each. 

Madison,  still  lower  on  the  Ohio,  is  considered  to  be  nearly 

T— 29 


450  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

equi-distant  between  Louisville  and  Cincinnati.  It  was  com- 
menced in  1811,  and  is  about  the  size  of  Vevay;  and  is  perhaps 
still  better  built,  than  that  town.  It  is  central  to  a  great  extent 
of  flourishing  back  country;  and  is  one  of  the  most  pleasant  and 
thriving  towns  in  the  state. 

New  London,  ten  miles  lower  on  the  river,  and  Charlestown, 
twenty-nine  miles  lower,  and  two  miles  back  from  the  Ohio,  are 
small  villages.  The  land  about  the  latter  town  was  a  grant  of 
gratitude  from  Virginia  to  the  brave  general  Clark,  and  his  sol- 
diers, for  their  achievements  at  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war. 

Jeffersonville  is  situated  just  above  the  falls  of  Ohio. — The 
town  of  Louisville  on  the  opposite  shore,  and  the  beautiful  and 
rich  country  beyond,  together  with  the  broad  and  rapid  river, 
forming  whitening  sheets  and  cascades  from  shore  to  shore,  the 
display  of  steam  boats,  added  to  the  high  banks,  the  neat  village, 
and  the  noble  woods  on  the  north  bank,  unite  to  render  the  scenery 
of  this  village  uncommonly  rich  and  diversified.  It  is  a  consider- 
able and  handsome  village  with  some  houses,  that  have  a  show  of 
magnificence.  It  has  a  land  office,  a  post  office,  a  printing  office, 
and  some  other  public  buildings.  It  was  contemplated  to  canal 
the  falls  on  this  side  of  the  river;  and  a  company  with  a  large 
capital  was  incorporated  by  the  legislature.  In  1819,  the  work 
was  commenced,  but  has  not  been  prosecuted  with  the  success, 
that  was  hoped. — The  completion  of  the  canal  on  the  opposite  side, 
will,  probably,  merge  this  project,  by  rendering  it  useless. — One 
of  the  principal  chutes  of  the  river,  in  low  water,  is  near  this  shore; 
and  experienced  pilots,  appointed  by  the  state,  are  always  in 
readiness,  to  conduct  boats  over  the  falls.  Clarksville  is  a  small 
village  just  below  this  place. 

New  Albany  is  the  seat  of  justice  for  Floyd  county;  and  is 
four  and  a  half  miles  below  Jeffersonville.  The  front  street  is 
three  quarters  of  a  mile  in  length,  and  makes  a  respectable  appear- 
ance from  the  river.  Many  steam  boats,  that  can  not  pass  the 
falls,  are  laid  up  for  repair  at  this  place,  during  the  summer.  It. 
has  a  convenient  ship  yard  for  building  steam  boats.  It  is  a 
thriving  and  busy  village. 

Fredonia,  Leavenworth,  Rockport,  and  Evansville  occur,  as 
we  descend  the  Ohio.  The  last,  is  a  village  of  some  consequence. 
It  is  the  landing  place  for  immigrants,  descending  the  Ohio,  for 
the  Wabash.  It  is  at  the  mouth  of  Big  Pigeon  creek,  fifty-four 
miles  south  of  Vincennes,  and  forty-five  above  the  mouth  of  the 


TIMOTHY  FLINT.  451 

Wabash. — Being  about  half  way  between  the  falls  of  Ohio  and 
the  mouth,  it  is  a  noted  stopping  place  for  steam  boats. 

Cory  don,  the  seat  of  justice  for  the  county  of  Harrison,  was 
for  a  considerable  time  the  political  metropolis  of  the  state.  It 
is  distant  twenty-three  miles  from  Jeffersonville,  and  thirteen 
from  the  Ohio.  It  is  situated  in  the  forks  of  Indian  creek.  North 
of  the  town,  spreads  an  extensive  region  of  barrens  full  of  sink 
holes,  and  lime  stone  caves. 

Salem  is  on  a  small  branch  of  Blue  river,  thirty-four  miles 
north  of  Corydon.  It  is  a  very  flourishing  county  town,  and 
contains  more  than  100  houses.  Brownstown,  Paoli,  and  Wash- 
ington are  interior  county  towns.  The  following  towns  are  on 
the  Wabash,  as  we  descend  the  river.  Above  Tippicanoe  is  the 
old  French  post  of  Ouitanon.  It  is  at  the  head  of  beatable  navi- 
gation on  the  river,  in  the  centre  of  what  was  recently  the  country 
of  the  savages.  Its  origin  dates  back  nearly  100  years. — The 
inhabitants  are  a  mixture  of  French  and  Indian  blood.  Merom 
is  on  a  high  bluff  of  the  Wabash,  opposite  La  Motte  prairie,  in 
Illinois.  It  is  in  the  centre  of  rich  and  beautiful  prairies.  It  has 
peopled  with  great  rapidity.  Terre  Haute  is  situated  two  miles 
below  fort  Harrison,  as  its  name  imports,  on  a  high  bank  of  the 
Wabash.  It  is  a  growing  and  important  village.  Shakertown, 
fifteen  miles  above  Vincennes,  contains  a  community  of  the  indus- 
trious people,  called,  Shakers,  and  exhibits  the  marks  of  order 
and  neatness,  that  are  so  characteristic  of  those  people  every- 
where. 

Vincennes  is,  after  Kaskaskia,  the  oldest  place  in  the  western 
world.  It  was  settled  in  1735,  by  French  emigrants  from  Canada. 
They  fixed  themselves  here  in  a  beautiful,  rich  and  isolated  spot, 
in  the  midst  of  the  deserts  of  the  new  world.  For  an  age  they 
had  little  intercourse  with  any  other  people,  than  savages.  Their 
interests,  pursuits  and  feelings  were  identified  with  them.  Their 
descendants  are  reclaimed  from  their  savage  propensities;  and 
have  the  characteristic  vivacity,  amiableness,  and  politeness  of 
the  French  people  everywhere.  It  is  distant  150  miles  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Wabash;  and  fifty-four  from  the  nearest  point  of 
the  Ohio.  It  has  improved  rapidly  of  late;  and  is  said  to  contain 
more  than  300  houses,  a  brick  court  house  and  hotel,  a  jail,  a 
respectable  building  for  an  academy,  a  Roman  catholic  and  a 
presbyterian  church,  a  land  office,  a  post  office,  two  printing 
offices,  from  one  of  which  is  issued  a  respectable  gazette,  a  bank, 
and  some  other  public  buildings.  It  is  situated  contiguous  to  a 


452  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

beautiful  and  extensive  prairie,  5,000  acres  of  which  are  culti- 
vated as  a  common  field,  after  the  ancient  French  customs.  It 
was  for  a  long  time  the  seat  of  the  territorial  government,  and 
still  has  more  trade,  than  any  other  place  in  the  state.  The  plat 
of  the  town  is  level,  and  laid  off  with  great  regularity.  The 
houses  have  extensive  gardens  back  of  them,  filled,  after  the  French 
fashion,  with  crowded  fruit  trees.  It  is  accessible,  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  year,  by  steam  boats;  and  is  a  place  of  extensive  supply 
of  merchandize  to  the  interior  of  the  state.  Volney,  who  visited 
this  place  not  long  after  the  setting  up  of  the  Federal  government 
here,  gives  a  very  graphic  and  faithful  account  of  the  appearance 
of  this  place,  and  the  adjoining  country,  of  the  French  inhabitants 
and  their  manners.  At  the  same  time,  he  presents  a  revolting 
picture  of  the  manner,  in  which  the  Americans  had  treated  them. 
He  represents  them  to  have  been  plundered,  and  insulted  by  the 
Kentuckians,  soon  after  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war.  Per- 
haps he  had  not  learned,  that  Vincennes  had  been,  for  a  long  time, 
a  nest  of  savages,  from  which  they  fitted  out  their  murderous 
expeditions;  and  that  it  was  natural,  that  the  Kentuckians,  who 
had  suffered  so  much  from  them,  should  be  disposed  to  retaliate 
upon  the  people,  who  had  harbored  them.  He  represents  them, 
subsequently,  to  have  been  cheated  out  of  their  lands  by  the 
Americans.  Their  ignorance,  he  says,  at  this  time  was  profound. 
But  little  more  than  half  their  number  could  read,  or  write;  and 
he  avers,  that  he  could  instantly  distinguish  them,  when  mixed 
with  the  Americans,  by  their  meagre  and  tanned  faces,  and  their 
look  of  poverty  and  desolation.  However  just  this  picture  may 
have  been  in  1796,  it  is  all  reversed  now. — Most  of  the  inhabitants 
have  an  air  of  ease  and  affluence;  and  Vincennes  furnishes  a  oleas- 
ant  and  respectable  society. 

Harmony,  fifty-four  miles  below  Vincennes,  and  something 
more  than  100  by  water  above  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash,  is  the 
seat  of  justice  for  the  county  of  Posey.  It  is  situated  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  river,  sixteen  miles  from  the  nearest  point  of  the  Ohio, 
on  a  wide,  rich,  and  heavily  timbered  plateau,  or  second  bottom. 
It  is  high,  healthy,  has  a  fertile  soil,  and  is  in  the  vicinity  of  small 
and  rich  prairies;  and  is,  on  the  whole,  a  pleasant  and  well  chosen 
position.  It  was  first  settled,  in  1814,  by  a  religious  sect  of  Ger- 
mans, denominated  Harmonites.  They  were  emigrants  from 
Germany,  and  settled  first  on  Beaver  creek  in  Pennsylvania. 
They  moved  in  a  body,  consisting  of  800  souls,  to  this  place. 
Their  spiritual  and  temporal  leader  was  George  Rapp;  and  all 


TIMOTHY  FLINT.  453 

the  lands  and  possesions  were  held  in  his  name.  Their  society 
seems  to  have  been  a  kind  of  intermediate  sect  between  the 
Shakers  and  Moravians.  They  held  their  property  in  common. 
Their  regulations  were  extremely  strict  and  severe.  In  their 
order,  industry,  neatness,  and  perfect  subordination,  they  resem- 
bled the  Shakers.  They  soon  erected  from  eighty  to  one  hundred 
large  and  substantial  buildings.  Their  lands  were  laid  off  with 
the  most  perfect  regularity,  and  were  as  right  angled,  and  square 
as  compass  could  make  them.  They  were  wonderfully  successful 
here,  as  they  had  been  in  other  places,  in  converting  a  wilderness 
into  a  garden  in  a  short  time.  They  had  even  the  luxury  of  a 
botanic  garden  and  a  green  house.  Their  great  house  of  assembly, 
with  its  wings  and  appendages,  was  nearly  an  hundred  feet  square. 
Here  they  lived,  and  labored  in  common,  and  in  profound  peace. 
But  from  some  cause,  their  eyes  were  turned  from  the  rich  fields, 
and  the  wide  prairies,  and  the  more  southern  and  temperate 
climate  of  the  Wabash  towards  Beaver  creek,  the  place,  where 
they  had  first  settled.  While  they  were  under  the  influence  of  these 
yearnings,  the  leader  of  a  new  sect  came  upon  them. — This  was 
no  other  than  Robert  Owen  of  New  Lanark,  in  Scotland;  a  pro- 
fessed philosopher  of  a  new  school,  who  advocated  new  principles, 
and  took  new  views  of  society.  He  calls  his  views  upon  this  sub- 
ject "the  social  system."  He  was  opulent,  and  disposed  to  make 
a  grand  experiment  of  his  principles  on  the  prairies  of  the  Wabash. 
He  purchased  the  lands  and  the  village  of  Mr.  Rapp,  at  an  expense, 
it  is  said,  of  190,000  dollars.  In  a  short  time  there  were  admitted 
to  the  new  establishment  from  seven  to  eight  hundred  persons. 
They  danced,  all  together,  one  night  in  every  week,  and  had  a 
concert  of  music  in  another.  The  Sabbath  was  occupied  in  the 
delivery  and  hearing  of  philosophical  lectures.  Two  of  Mr. 
Owen's  sons  and  Mr.  M'Clure,  joined  him  from  Scotland.  The 
society  at  New  Harmony,  as  the  place  was  called,  excited  a  great 
deal  of  interest  and  remark  in  every  part  of  the  United  States. 
Great  numbers  of  distinguished  men  in  all  the  walks  of  life  wrote 
to  the  society,  making  enquiries,  respecting  its  prospects,  and 
rules;  and  expressing  a  desire,  at  some  future  time,  to  join  it. 
Mr.  Owen  remained  at  New  Harmony,  but  little  more  than  a 
year;  in  which  time  he  made  a  voyage  to  Europe.  The  fourth 
of  July,  1826,  he  promulgated  his  famous  declaration  of  "mental 
independence."  The  society  had  began  to  moulder  before  this 
time.  He  has  left  New  Harmony,  and  "the  social  system"  seems 
to  be  abandoned.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  that  this  beautiful  village, 


454  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

which  has  been  the  theatre  of  such  singular  and  opposite  experi- 
ments, will  again  flourish. 

Brookville  is  a  pleasant  and  a  very  considerable  village,  in  the 
forks  of  the  beautiful  river  White  water.  It  is  noted  for  the  num- 
ber and  enterprise  of  its  mechanics  and  manufacturers.  A  num- 
ber of  its  public  and  private  buildings  are  of  brick,  and  are  respect- 
able. It  has  grist  mills,  saw  mills,  carding  machines,  a  printing 
office,  and  numbers  of  the  common  mechanic  shops,  where  the 
usual  articles  of  city  manufacture  are  made  for  exportation. 
The  town  and  the  public  square  are  on  a  fine  and  commanding 
level. — The. streets  are  so  situated,  that  they  are  easily  kept  clean. 
The  position  of  the  town,  its  salubrity,  the  clearness  and  coldness 
of  its  waters,  and  the  adjoining  scenery  give  this  place  uncommon 
advantages  for  manufactures.  The  enterprising  inhabitants  have 
not  failed  to  avail  themselves  of  these  advantages.  The  sur- 
rounding country  is  finely  timbered,  and  watered.  The  soil  is 
rich  and  productive;  and  has  acquired  reputation  for  the  excellence 
of  its  tobacco.  It  is  at  once  extensive  and  populous.  This  village 
can  not  fail  to  become  a  considerable  town.  The  number  of 
houses  exceeds  one  hundred. 

Harrison  is  situated  on  the  north  shore  of  White  water,  eight 
miles  from  its  mouth,  eighteen  north-east  [south-east]  of  Brookville, 
and  in  the  centre  of  an  excellent  body  of  land. — The  village  is 
divided  between  the  jurisdiction  of  Ohio  and  Indiana.  In  the  very 
rich  and  extensive  bottoms,  that  surround  this  village,  are  found 
great  numbers  of  Indian  mounds.  They  contain  large  quantities  of 
human  bones,  in  all  stages  of  decay.  Indian  axes,  vases,  and 
implements  of  war  and  domestic  use,  abound  in  them.  In  the 
bottom  of  most  of  them  are  found  brands,  coal  and  ashes;  indica- 
tions, from  which  antiquarians  have  inferred,  that  they  were 
places  of  sacrifice,  and  that  the  victims  were  probably  human. 

Paoli,  Mount  Sterling,  Washington,  Princeton,  Salisbury, 
New  Lexington,  Charleston,  Salem,  Brownston,  &c.  are  seats  of 
justice  to  their  several  counties,  and  are  places  of  greater  or  less 
importance.  In  a  country,  where  every  year  produces  new  towns, 
some  of  them  of  considerable  importance,  and  where  the  scene 
of  cultivation,  population  and  improvement,  is  shifting  under  the 
eye  of  the  surveyor  and  traveller,  it  can  not  be  supposed,  that 
this  is,  by  any  means,  a  complete  list  of  the  towns,  that  have 
arisen,  and  are  continually  springing  up,  in  this  rapidly  populating 
state.  It  is  as  complete,  as  is  attainable  by  our  means  at  present. 
We  close  the  list  with  the  political  metropolis  of  the  state. 


TIMOTHY  FLINT.  455 

Indianapolis.  This  town,  situated  on  the  west  [east]  bank  of 
White  river,  has  had  as  rapid  a  growth,  as  any  one  that  has  arisen 
in  the  western  country.'  It  is  in  the  centre  of  one  of  the  most 
extensive  and  fertile  bodies  of  land  in  the  western  world;  nearly 
central  to  the  state,  on  White  river,  and  at  a  point  accessible  by 
steam  boats,  in  common  stages  of  the  Wabash.  No  river  in 
America,  according  to  its  size  and  extent,  has  greater  bodies  of 
fertile  land,  than  White  river.  The  country  is  populating  about 
this  town  with  unexampled  rapidity.  The  town  itself  has  grown 
up  like  the  prophet's  gourd.  But  a  few  years  since,  and  it  .was  a 
solid  and  deep  forest,  where  the  surprised  traveller  now  sees  com- 
pact streets  and  squares  of  brick  buildings,  respectable  public 
buildings,  manufactories,  mechanic  shops,  printing  offices,  busi- 
ness and  bustle.  Such  is  the  present  aspect  of  Indianapolis, 
which  is  supposed  to  contain  between  two  and  three  hundred 
houses.  It  will,  probably,  become  one  the  largest  towns  between 
Cincinnati  and  the  Mississippi. 

The  river  Chicago  empties  into  lake  Michigan,  near  the  terri- 
torial limits  of  Indiana  and  Illinois.  Its  harbor  is,  the  south- 
western extremity  of  that  lake.  Fort  Dearborn,  where  the  bloody 
tragedy  of  September,  1815,  was  enacted  by  the  Indians,  in  the 
massacre  of  its  garrison,  was,  until  recently,  a  military  post  of 
the  United  States.  It  has  lately  been  abandoned.  At  the  mouth 
of  this  river  is  the  only  harbor  on  the  lake  for  a  great  distance; 
and  when  ever  a  canal  shall  unite  the  Illinois  with  the  lake,  it 
will  become  a  place  of  great  commercial  importance. 

Indians.  Until  recently,  they  owned  the  greater  part  of  the 
fertile  lands  in  this  state.  Most  of  these  lands  have  lately  been 
purchased  of  them  by  treaty.  The  names  of  the  tribes,  as  they 
used  to  be,  convey  little  idea  of  their  present  position  and  num- 
bers. Great  numbers  of  them  have  emigrated  far  to  the  west,  on 
White  river  and  Arkansas.  Others  have  strayed  into  Canada, 
or  towards  the  sources  of  the  Mississippi,  and  their  deserted  place 
are  rapidly  filling  with  the  habitations  of  white  men.  Their 
names,  as  they  used  to  be,  are  Mascontins,  Piankashaws,  Kicka- 
poos,  Delawares,  Miamies,  Shawnees,  Weeas,  Ouitanons,  Eel 
rivers  and  Pottawattornies.  Their  present  numbers  can  not 
exceed  four  or  five  thousand  souls.  It  is  an  unquestionable  evi- 
dence of  the  fertility  of  the  country  in  the  interior  of  Indiana, 
that  it  was  once  the  seat  of  the  most  dense  Indian  population  in 
the  western  country. — The  Indians  invariably  fixed  in  greatest 
numbers,  where  the  soil  was  fertile,  the  country  health^,  and  the 


456  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

means  of  transport  on  water  courses  easy  and  extensive.  Such 
countries  abounded  in  fish  and  game,  and  such  was  the  country 
in  question.  The  Indians  in  this  country  were  invaded,  in  1791, 
by  general  Wilkinson.  He  destroyed  their  principal  town.  It 
contained  120  houses,  eighty 'of  which  were  roofed  with  shingles. 
The  gardens  and  improvements  about  it  were  delightful.  There 
was  a  tavern  with  cellars,  bar,  public  and  private  rooms;  and  the 
whole  indicated  no  small  degree  of  order  and  civilization.  The 
prophet's  town,  destroyed  by  general  Harrison  in  November, 
1811,  was  a  considerable  place. 

Game  and  Fish.  The  interior  and  northern  parts  of  this  state 
are  abundantly  stocked  with  game.  Bears,  and  especially  deer, 
abound.  Wild  turkeys  have  been  supposed  by  some  to  abound 
as  much  on  the  waters  of  White  river,  as  they  do  in  the  settled 
regions.  Hundreds  are  sometimes  driven  from  one  corn  field. 
Prairie  hens,  partridges  and  grouse  abound  on  the  prairies,  and 
in  some  seasons,  wild  pigeons  are  seen  here  in  countless  numbers. 
Where  they  roost,  the  limbs  of  the  trees  are  broken  off  in  all 
directions  by  their  numbers.  Venomous  snakes  and  noxious 
reptiles  are  sometimes  seen,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  ledges  of 
rocks.  The  rattle  snake  and  the  copper  head  are  the  most  numer- 
ous and  dangerous.  The  streams,  and  especially  those  that  com- 
municate with  lake  Michigan,  are  abundant  in  fish  of  the  best 
qualities.  The  number  and  excellence  of  the  fish,  and  the  ease, 
with  which  they  are  taken,  are  circumstances  of  real  importance 
and  advantage  to  the  first  settlers,  and  help  to  sustain  them,  until 
they  are  enabled  to  subsist  by  the  avails  of  cultivation. 

Minerals  and  Fossils.  There  are  salt  springs  in  different 
parts  of  the  state.  We  do  not  know,  that  any  of  them  are  worked 
to  much  extent.  The  salt  has  hitherto  been  chiefly  brought  from 
the  United  States'  Saline,  back  of  Shawneetown,  or  from  the 
Salines  of  Kenhawa. — Stone  coal  of  the  best  quality  is  found  in 
various  places. — Native  copper  has  been  discovered  in  small 
masses,  in  the  northern  parts  of  the  state.  Iron  ore  is  also  dis- 
covered in  some  places.  But  in  general  it  is  a  country  too  level 
to  be  a  mineral  one.  Although  from  the  first  settlement  of  the 
county,  it  has  been  asserted,  that  there  is  a  silver  mine  near 
Ouitanon. 

Antiquities.  We  have  seen,  that  this  state  possessed  a  numer- 
ous Indian  population.  Their  mounds,  their  sepulchres,  their 
runined  villages,  the  sward  of  blue  grass,  which  indicates  in  times 
nearer,  or  remote,  the  position  of  an  Indian  village,  their  imple- 


TIMOTHY  FLINT.  457 

ments  of  war  and  agriculture,  dug  up  by  the  spade,  or  turned  up 
by  the  plough,  strike  us  on  all  sides,  as  we  travel  through  this 
state.  They  can  not  but  excite  deep  and  serious  thoughts  in  a 
reflecting  mind. — French  traditions  relate,  that  an  exterminating 
battle  took  place  in  a  spot,  which  is  now  designated  by  two  or 
three  small  mounds,  near  where  fort  Harrison  now  stands.  The 
battle  was  fought  between  the  Indians  of  the  Mississippi,  and  of 
the  Wabash.  The  prize  of  conquest  was  the  lands,  which  were 
adjacent  to  the  field  of  battle.  A  thousand  warriors  fought  on 
each  side.  The  contest  commenced  with  the  sun,  and  was 
fought  with  all  the  barbarity  and-desperation  of  Indian  bravery. 
The  Wabash  warriors  were  victorious  with  seven  survivors;  and 
the  vanquished  came  off  with  only  five. 

Curiosities.  Like  Alabama  and  Tennessee,  this  state  abounds 
with  subterranean  wonders,  in  the  form  of  caves.  Many  have 
been  explored,  and  some  of  them  have  been  described.  One  of 
them,  extensively  known  in  the  western  country  by  the  name 
of  'the  Epsom  salts  cave,'  merits  a  particular  description.  We 
shall  give  it  in  the  words  of  a  letter  communicated  to  the  American 
Antiquarian  Society,  by  John  H.  Farnham,  Esq. 

'Your  letter,  requesting  a  description  of  my  Epsom  salts  cave 
has  come  to  hand.  From  the  particulars  enumerated  in  your 
request,  the  information  on  each  point  must  necessarily  be  very 
limited. 

'The  cave  is  situated  in  the  north-west  quarter  of  section  27, 
in  township  No.  3,  of  the  second  easterly  range  in  the  district  of 
lands  offered  for  sale  at  Jeffersonville. — The  precise  time  of  its 
discovery  is  difficult  to  ascertain.  I  have  conversed  with  several 
men  who  had  made  several  transient  visits  to  the  interior  of  the 
cave  about  eleven  years  ago,  at  which  time  it  must  have  exhibited 
a  very  interesting  appearance,  being,  to  use  their  own  phraseology, 
covered  like  snow  with  the  salts.  At  this  period,  some  describe 
the  salts  to  have  been  from  six  to  nine  inches  deep,  on  the  bottom 
of  the  cave,  on  which  lumps  of  an  enormous  size  were  interspersed, 
while  the  sides  presented  the  same  impressive  spectacle  with  the 
bottom,  being  covered  with  the  same  production.  Making  liberal 
allowances  for  the  hyperbole  of  discoverers  and  visitors,  I  can 
not  help  thinking  that  the  scenery  of  the  interior  at  this  time  was 
highly  interesting,  and  extremely  picturesque.  I  found  this 
opinion  upon  conversations  with  general  Harrison  and  major 
Floyd,  who  visited  the  cave  at  an  early  period,  and  whose  intelli- 


458  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

gence  would  render  them  less  liable  to  be  deceived  by  novel 
appearances. 

'The  hill,  in  which  the  cave  is  situated,  is  about  400  feet 
high  from  the  base  to  the  most  elevated  point;  and  the  prospect 
to  the  south-east,  in  a  clear  day,  is  exceedingly  fine,  commanding 
an  extensive  view  of  the  hills  and  valleys  bordering  on  Big  Blue 
river.  The  top  of  the  hill  is  covered  principally  with  oak  and 
chestnut.  The  side  to  the  south-east  is  mantled  with  cedar. 
The  entrance  is  about  midway  from  the  base  to  the  summit,  and 
the  surface  of  the  cave  preserves  in  general,  about  that  elevation; 
although  I  must  acknowledge  this  to  be  conjectural,  as  no  experi- 
ments have  been  made  with  a  view  to  ascertain  the  fact.  It  is, 
probably,  owing  to  this  middle  situation  of  the  cave,  that  it  is 
much  drier  than  is  common. 

'After  entering  the  cave  by  an  aperture  of  twelve  or  fifteen 
feet  wide,  and  in  height,  in  one  place,  three  or  four  feet,  you 
descend  with  easy  and  gradual  steps  into  a  large  and  spacious 
room,  which  continues  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  pretty  nearly 
the  same  appearance,  varying  in  height  from  eight  to  thirty  feet, 
and  in  breadth  from  ten  to  twenty.  In  this  distance  the  roof  is, 
in  some  places,  arched;  in  others  a  plane;  and  in  one  place,  par- 
ticularly, it  resembles  an  inside  view  of  the  roof  of  a  house.  At 
the  distance  above  named,  the  cave  forks;  but  the  right  hand 
fork  soon  terminates,  while  the  left  rises  by  a  flight  of  rocky 
stairs,  nearly  ten  feet  high,  into  another  story,  and  pursues  a 
course  at  this  place  nearly  south-east.  Here  the  roof  commences 
a  regular  arch,  the  height  of  which  from  the  floor,  varies  from  five 
to  eight  feet,  and  the  width  of  the  cave  from  six  to  twelve  feet; 
which  continues  to  what  is  called  the  creeping  place,  from  the 
circumstance  of  having  to  crawl  ten  or  twelve  feet  into  the  next 
large  room.  From  this  place  to  the  'Pillar,'  a  distance  of  about 
one  mile  and  a  quarter,  the  visitor  finds  an  alternate  succession 
of  large  and  small  rooms,  variously  decorated;  sometimes  mount- 
ing elevated  points  by  gradual  or  difficult  ascents,  and  again 
descending  as  far  below;  sometimes  travelling  on  a  pavement,  or 
climbing  over  huge  piles  of  rocks,  detached  from  the  roof  by  some 
convulsion  of  nature;  and  thus  continues  his  route,  until  he  arrives 
at  the  pillar. 

'The  aspect  of  this  large  and  stately  white  column,  as  it  comes 
in  sight  from  the  dim  reflection  of  the  torches,  is  grand  and  im- 
pressive. Visitors  have  seldom  pushed  their  enquiries  farther 
than  two  or  three  hundred  yards  beyond  this  pillar.  This  column 


TIMOTHY  FLINT.  459 

is  about  fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  from  twenty  to  thirty  in  height, 
and  regularly  reeded  from  the  top  to  the  bottom.  In  the  vicinity 
of  this  spot  are  some  inferior  pillars  of  the  same  appearance  and 
texture.  Chemically  speaking,  it  is  difficult  for  me  to  say  what 
are  the  constituent  parts  of  these  columns,  but  lime  appears  to 
be  the  base.  Major  Warren,  who  is  certainly  a  competent  judge, 
is  of  opinion  that  they  are  satin  spar. 

'I  have  thus  given  you  an  imperfect  sketch  of  the  mechanical 
structure  and  appearance  of  the  cave.  It  only  remains  to  men- 
tion its  productions. 

'The  first  in  importance  is  the  sulphat  of  magnesia,  or  Epsom 
salts,  which,  as  has  been  previously  remarked,  abounds  through- 
out this  cave  in  almost  its  whole  extent,  and  which,  I  believe,  has 
no  parallel  in  the  history  of  that  article.  This  neutral  salt  is 
found  in  a  great  variety  of  forms,  and  in  many  different  stages  of 
formation.  Sometimes  in  lumps,  varying  from  one  to  ten  pounds 
in  weight.  The  earth  exhibits  a  shining  appearance,  from  the 
numerous  particles  interspersed  throughout  the  huge  piles  of  dirt 
collected  in  different  parts  of  the  cave.  The  walls  are  covered  in 
different  places  with  the  same  article,  and  re-production  goes  on 
rapidly.  With  a  view  to  ascertain  this  fact,  I  removed  from  a 
particular  place  every  vestige  of  salt,  and  in  four  or  five  weeks  the 
place  was  covered  with  small  needle-shaped  crystals,  exhibiting 
the  appearance  of  frost. 

'The  quality  of  the  salt  in  this  cave  is  inferior  to  none;  and 
when  it  takes  its  proper  stand  in  regular  and  domestic  practice, 
must  be  of  national  utility.  With  respect  to  the  resources  of 
this  cave,  I  will  venture  to  say,  that  every  competent  judge  must 
pronounce  it  inexhaustible.  The  worst  earth  that  has  been  tried, 
will  yield  four  pounds  of  salt  to  the  bushel;  and  the  best,  from 
twenty  to  twenty-five  pounds. 

'The  next  production  is  the  nitrate  of  lime,  or  salt-petre  earth. 
There  are  vast  quantities  of  this  earth,  and  equal  in  strength  to 
any  that  I  have  ever  seen.  There  are  also  large  quantities  of  the 
nitrate  of  allumine,  or  nitrate  of  argil,  which  will  yield  as  much 
nitrate  of  potash,  or  saltpetre,  in  proportion  to  the  quantities  of 
earth,  as  the  nitrate  of  lime. 

'The  three  articles  above  enumerated,  are  first  in  quantity 
and  importance;  but  there  are  several  others,  which  deserve 
notice  as  subjects  of  philosophical  curiosity.  The  sulphat  of 
lime,  or  plaster  of  Paris,  is  to  be  seen  variously  formed;  ponder- 
ous, crystalized  and  impalpable  or  soft,  light,  and  rather  spongy. 


460  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Vestiges  of  the  sulphat  of  iron  are  also  to  be  seen  in  one  or  two 
places.  Small  specimens  of  the  carbonate,  and  also  the  nitrate 
of  magnesia,  have  been  found.  The  rocks  in  the  cave  principally 
consist  of  carbonate  of  lime,  or  common  lime  stone. 

'I  had  almost  forgotten  to  state,  that  near  the  forks  of  the 
cave  are  two  specimens  of  painting,  probably  of  Indian  origin. 
The  one  appears  to  be  a  savage,  with  something  like  a  bow  in 
his  hand,  and  furnishes  the  hint,  that  it  was  done  when  that 
instrument  of  death  was  in  use.  The  other  is  so  much  defaced, 
that  it  is  impossible  to  say  what  it  was  intended  to  represent. 

'BENJAMIN  ADAMS.' 

Roads,  Canals,  Improvements,  &c.  The  same  provisions  are 
made  here,  as  in  most  of  the  other  western  states  for  the  improve- 
ment of  roads  and  the  making  of  bridges.  In  the  summer  and 
autumn,  the  passing  in  this  state  is  tolerable,  from  the  circum- 
stance of  the  levelness  of  the  lands.  Few  of  the  roads  are  much 
wrought,  or  kept  in  good  repair.  There  are  ferries  on  all  the 
great  waters  of  passing.  The  roads,  during  the  winter  and  spring, 
are  excessively  deep  and  heavy.  The  national  road  will  pass 
through  the  centre  of  this  state  touching  at  Indianapolis.  None 
of  the  western  states  afford  greater  facilities  for  canals.  We 
have  seen,  that  great  numbers  of  ponds  and  lakes  here  connect 
both  with  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  and  the  lakes;  and  afford 
the  spectacle  of  canals,  commenced  by  nature.  A  canal,  beside 
that  mentioned,  as  having  been  commenced  at  Jeffersonville, 
has  been  proposed  to  connect  the  waters" of  the  Wabash  with 
those  of  the  Miami  of  the  lake,  uniting  that  river  with  the  lakes; 
and  100,000  acres  of  land  have  been  appropriated  by  congress 
for  that  object. 

That  spirit  of  regard  for  schools,  religious  societies  and  insti- 
tutions, connected  with  them,  which  has  so  honorably  distin- 
guished the  commencing  institutions  of  Ohio,  has  displayed  itself 
also  in  this  state.  There  are  districts,  no  doubt,  where  people 
have  but  just  made  beginnings;  and  where  they  are  more  anxious 
about  carrying  on  the  first  operations  of  making  a  new  establish- 
ment, than  about  educating  their  children.  But  it  ought  to  be 
recorded  to  the  honor  of  the  people  in  this  state,  that  among  the 
first  public  works  in  an  incipient  village,  is  a  school  house,  and 
among  the  first  associations,  that  for  establishing  a  school. 
Schools  are  of  course  established  in  all  the  considerable  towns  and 
villages  in  the  state.  In  many  of  the  compact  villages,  there  is 


TIMOTHY  FLINT.  .  461 

a  reading  room,  and  a  social  library.- — The  spirit  of  enquiry, 
resulting  from  our  free  institutions,  is  pervading  the  country, 
and  a  thirst  for  all  kinds  of  information  is  universal.  Highei 
schools,  as  academies  and  colleges,  are  in  operation  or  contem- 
plation. This  state  will  soon  take  a  high  place  among  her  sister 
states,  in  point  of  population.  It  is  hoped  and  believed,  that  her 
advance  in  intellectual  improvement,  and  in  the  social  and 
religious  institutions  will  be  in  corresponding  proportion.  The 
only  endowed  college,  with  which  we  are  acquainted,  is  fixed  at 
Vincennes. 

Constitution  and  Government.  This  state  was  admitted  into 
the  Union  in  1816.  The  constitution  does  not  differ  essentially 
from  that  of  the  other  western  states. — Where  it  does  differ,  it 
is  in  having  a  more  popular  form,  than  the  rest.  The  governor  is 
elected  for  three  years;  and  is  eligible  six  years  out  of  nine.  The 
judiciary  is  composed  of  a  supreme  and  circuit  courts. 

The  judges  of  the  supreme  court  are  appointed  by  the  governor, 
and  have  appellate  jurisdiction.  The  circuit  courts  are  to  be 
held  by  one  judge  and  two  associates — the  former  to  be  appointed 
by  the  legislature,  and  the  latter  by  the  people;  all  to  be  held  for 
the  term  of  seven  years.  All  free  white  males,  of  twenty-one  years 
and  upwards,  that  are  citizens  of  the  United  States,  are  admitted 
to  the  elective  franchise. 

History.  All  the  striking  historical  events,  that  relate  to  the 
country,  which  is  now  the  state  of  Indiana,  have  either  been 
related  in  the  general  history  of  the  Mississippi  valley,  or  remain 
to  be  more  properly  related  under  the  history  of  Ohio,  in  which 
country,  under  the  name  of  the  North  Western  Territory,  it  was 
originally  included. — It  has  been  the  scene  of  a  number  of  bloody 
contests  at  different  periods.  The  country  on  the  Wabash  was 
early  visited  by  French  traders,  or  hunters  from  Canada.  The 
settlement  of  Vmcennes,  dates  back  as  far  as  1702.  The  first 
settlement  was  composed  of  soldiers  of  Louis  XIV.  They  were, 
for  more  than  an  age,  almost  separated  from  the  rest  of  man- 
kind; and  had,  in  many  respects,  assimilated  with  the  savages, 
with  whom  they  intermarried.  In  the  time  of  the  American 
revolution,  they  manifested  a  disposition  so  unequivocally  favor- 
able to  it,  that  the  general  government  ceded  to  them  a  tract  of 
land  about  Vincennes,  at  the  close  of  that  war. — The  sparse 
population  in  this  then  wilderness,  suffered  severely  from  the 
savages,  until  the  peace,  which  was  restored  by  the  treaty  at 
Greenville.  The  Indians  still  owned  the  greater  portion  of  the 


462  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

territorial  surface.  In  the  year  1811,  in  consequence  of  their 
depredations  and  murders,  a  military  force  was  sent  against  them; 
and  they  were  defeated,  and  compelled  to  sue  for  peace.  The 
bloody  battle  of  Tippicanoe  has  already  been  related.  Since  the 
peace  they  have  been  quiet,  and  have  ceded  the  greater  part  of 
their  lands  to  the  United  States.  In  1801,  Indiana  was  erected 
into  a  territorial  government.  During  the  late  war  the  tide  of 
immigration  was  almost  completely  arrested.  Many  of  the  set- 
tlements were  broken  up  by  the  savages.  Immediately  on  the 
termination  of  that  war,  the  tide  set  strongly  again,  through 
Ohio,  to  this  state;  and  population  poured  in  upon  the  woods  and 
prairies.  It  has  been  filling  up  with  almost  unexampled  rapidity, 
since  that  time.  It  suffered  severely  along  with  the  other  western 
states  by  the  change  of  times,  that  occurred  after  the  close  of  the 
war.  The  same  foolish,  or  iniquitous  system  of  spurious  banks, 
or  relief  laws,  was  adopted  here  as  in  the  states  farther  west;  and 
with  the  same  results.  The  bank  of  New  Lexington  was  a  notori- 
ous scheme  of  iniquity;  and  was  one  of  the  first  bubbles,  that- 
burst  in  this  young  community.  Though  the  people  did  not 
immediately  take  warning,  they  were  among  the  first,  that  dis- 
carded all  the  rediculous  temporizing  expedients  of  relief,  and 
restored  a  sound  circulation. 

The  progress  of  the  state  in  population  and  prosperity,  some 
years  past,  has  been  uniform.  It  will  now,  probably,  have  250,000 
inhabitants;  and  in  1830,  300,000.  If  we  could  present  a  scenic 
map  of  this  state,  exhibiting  its  present  condition,  it  would 
present  us  a  grand  and  very  interesting  landscape  of  deep  forests, 
wide  and  flowering  prairies,  thousands  of  log  cabins,  and  in  the 
villages,  brick  houses  rising  beside  them.  We  should  see  chasms 
cut  out  of  the  forests  in  all  directions.  We  should  see  thousands 
of  dead  trees  surrounding  the  incipient  establishments.- — On  the 
edges  of  the  prairies,  we  should  see  cabins,  or  houses,  sending  up 
their  smokes.  We  should  see  vast  droves  of  cattle,  ruminating 
in  the  vicinity  of  these  establishments,  in  the  shade.  There 
would  be  a  singular  melange  of  nature  and  art;  and  to  give  inter- 
est to  the  scene,  the  bark  hovels  of  the  Indians,  in  many  places, 
would  remain  intermixed  with  the  habitations  of  the  whites. 
But  the  most  pleasing  part  of  the  picture  would  be  to  see  inde- 
pendent and  respectable  yeomen  presiding  over  these  great 
changes.  The  young  children  would  be  seen  playing  about  the 
rustic  establishments;  full  fed  and  happy,  sure  presages  of  the 
numbers,  healthfulness  and  independence  of  the  coming  generation. 


From  The  Christian  Traveler,  by  Isaac  Reed  [1828],  pp. 
70-94,  96-97,  120-22,  131-34,  137-41,  144-49,  177- 
84,  211-15V216-30. 

REED,  ISAAC. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  turn  from  the  more  or  less  critical  accounts  given  by 
foreigners  who  travelled  in  our  midst,  to  the  narrative  of  one  who  was  truly 
American  in  birth  and  sympathy.  No  traveller  had  such  an  opportunity  to 
study  the  real  conditions  that  existed  along  the  frontier  as  did  the  missionary 
ministers.  In  1816  the  Presbyterian  Societies  of  New  England  sent  a  number 
of  Missionaries  to  Indiana.  The  most  noted  of  these  were  Isaac  Reed  and 
William  W.  Martin.  Lake  the  Methodist  circuit  riders,  they  travelled  all 
over  the  state.  They  therefore  were  in  a  position  to  give  a  valuable  detailed 
survey  of  the  religious  and  social  conditions  then  existing.  The  following 
observations  are  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Reed. 

LETTER  XIX. 

Madison,  Jefferson  Co.,  Indiana,  July  29,  1818. 
My  dear  C—      — , 

My  last  was  from"  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cleland's,  of  Mercer,  Ken- 
tucky, where  I  remained  over  Sabbath,  and  on  the  22d  inst.  in 
company  with  Mr.  C.  started  for  this  place.  We  stopped  at 
noon,  at  a  decent  cabin,  and  found  they  had  a  bible.  The  woman 
said  she  was  a  great  sinner,  and  was  very  attentive  to  what  we 
said  to  her.  She  seemed  willing  to  learn,  but  very  rarely  hears 
preaching.  We  put  up  at  night,  with  a  religious  family  on  the 
north  edge  of  Shelby  Co.  Leaving  it  early  the  next  morning, 
we  breakfasted  near  Newcastle,  and  soon  after  passed  through 
the  town.  This  is  the  seat  of  justice  of  Henry  Co.  It  is  built  on 
the  southern  declivity  of  a  hill,  contains  a  population  of  about 
800,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  fertile  and  populous  country.  It  is 
wholly  destitute  of  religious  society.  I  thought  this  field  needs 
culture,  and  said  to  my  companion,  that  it  ought  to  receive 
religious  attention,  and  would  be,  I  thought,  a  favourable  mis- 
sionary station.  In  these  parts  thought  I,  and  wrote  it  in  my 
journal,  "There  remains  yet  very  much  land  to  be  possessed." 
We  made  little  stop  the  rest  of  the  day,  "being  anxious  to  reach 
this  that  night;  and  just  at  sun-set  we  came  down  to  the  Ohio 
river,  which  is  here  half  a  mile  wide.  Crossing  over,  we  came 
into  Madison,  and  put  up  with  Mr.  D.  M'Clure.  In  my  travels 

(463) 


464  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

in  Kentucky,  which  have  included  about  700  miles,  I  have  learned 
much  of  its  religious  state.  This  is  truly  low,  though  it  is  thought 
better  than  a  few  years  since.  There  are  many  which  wear  the 
Baptist's  name,  but  they  have  neither  the  knowledge,  order,  nor 
the  apparent  piety  of  the  Baptists  in  the  northern  states.  The 
Methodists  are  not  very  numerous,  and  the  Presbyterian  cause 
and  interest  is  low.  There  are  some  precious  people,  whom  I 
hignly  respect:  they  are  wralking  in  the  ordinances  of  God,  and 
sighing  over  the  abominations  of  the  land,  in  which  their  lot  is 
cast.  And  there  are  some  faithful  ministers,  who  are  zealous 
for  the  cause  of  the  Redeemer.  But  they  are  so  few, — they  are 
so  very  few, — more  than  30  counties,  containing  an  immense 
population,  are  without  a  single  Presbyterian  minister.  Several 
of  these  counties  have  in  them  little  churches,  but  they  have  no 
pastors.  Poor  souls,  how  I  pity  them.  Since  I  came  into  the 
state,  most  of  my  time  has  been  spent  with  such.  I  hope  some 
good  has  arisen,  and  will  arise  from  it. 

I  am  now,  for  the  first  time,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Ohio. 
This  town  lies  on  its  bank.  We  are  come  here  to  preach  tho 
glorious  Gospel,  and  Mr.  C.  is  to  administer  the  Sacrament. 
More  at  a  future  time.  Your's,  &c. 

LETTER  XX 

New-Albany,  September  5,  1818. 
My  dear  C-       — , 

In  Madison  and  the  country  about  it,  I  spent  six  weeks. 
Some  account  of  this  time,  and  my  labours  in  it,  I  am  now  about 
to  give  my  friend.  My  former  letter  closed  with  our  arrival  in 
Madison,  and  just  at  the  eve  of  a  sacramental  occasion.  On  that 
occasion  the  meeting  lasted  four  days. — I  preached  three  times, 
and  Mr.  C-  -  three.  Saturday,  it  rained  profusely;  but 

Sabbat'h  the  weather  was  good,  and  the  attendance  very  numer- 
ous. The  attention  seemed  also  fixed  and  solemn. 

During  the  sacrament,  many  were  in  tears.  There  were  five 
tables,  and  about  80  communicants.  Several  addresses  at  the 
table  were  long  and  affecting.  I  preached  at  evening,  and  Mr. 
C-  -  gave  an  exhortation.  It  was  a  very  superior  one;  show- 
ing the  excellence  of  Christianity  from  its  effects.  He  was  ani- 
mated and  very  pathetic.  He  is  a  devout  man,  and  has  a  great 
gift  in  extemporary  speaking.  The  next  morning  was  very 
rainy,  but  the  people  convened  at  10  o'clock,  and  Mr.  C- 


ISAAC  REED.  465 

preached  an  able  and  instructive  discourse,  and  the  meeting  was 
closed.  He  set  out  for  home  the  same  day,  and  I  came  six  miles 
down  the  river  with  W.  D.  Esq.,  where,  much  fatigued,  I  remained 
through  the  next  day. 

July  29th. — I  was  this  morning  at  Mr.  G.  L.'s;  who  lives  on 
high  ground,  beautifully  overlooking  the  Ohio.  He  is  an  intelli- 
gent and  pious  man  of  the  Associate  Reformed  Church.  After 
dinner,  I  started  for  Graham's  Fork,  a  settlement  in  Jennings 
county.  The  country  through  which  I  passed,  is  new;  but  the 
log  houses  are  scattered  along  near  the  road.  The  distance  is 
13  miles,  and  I  reached  there  just  before  sun-set.  Put  up  with 
Mr.  S.  Graham,  where  I  am  to  preach  to-morrow.  He  seems  a 
good  man,  and  was  with  his  wife  at  the  late  sacrament  inMadi- 
son.  They  have  a  little  church  collected  here  of  17  members. 
Oh!  that  their  number  may  soon  be  increased,  and  this  wilder- 
ness blossom  as  the  rose,  and  become  vocal  with  the  praises  of 
God.  Oh!  that  the  Rose  of  Sharon  may  be  known  and  prized 
by  these  new  settlers  of  the  western  wilds. 

July  30th. — The  weather  was  very  showery,  but  a  consider- 
able number  of  people  came  to  meeting,  to  whom  I  preached  for 
about  an  hour,  from  the  text,  "Fear  not,  little  flock,  for  it  is  your 
Father's  good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom."  They  were 
very  attentive,  and  it  looked  as  though  the  fields  were  white, 
ready  to  the  harvest.  O  Lord,  send  forth  labourers  into  thy 
harvest! 

July  31st. — Preached  at  9  o'clock  this  morning,  in  the  same 
place,  and  to  nearly  the  same  congregation  as  on  yesterday. 
Their  attention  was  silent  and  good.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  preach 
to  them,  they  seemed  so  highly  to  prize  it.  I  left  them  on  my 
return  at  11  o'clock.  The  late  rains  had  raised  the  rivers,  and 
the  waters  were  very  high.  Fording  was  somewhat  difficult,  but 
I  succeeded  in  crossing,  and  returned  to  the  neighbourhood  of 
W.  D.  Esq.,  near  the  Ohio. 

Sabbath,  Aug.  2d. — I  preached  for  the  first  time  in  the  open 
woods.  The  collection  of  people  was  considerable,  much  greater 
than  could  get  into  the  school  house, — meeting  house  they  have 
none.  I  felt  considerable  freedom  in  preaching  from  the  text, 
"They  that  be  whole  need  not  a  physician;  but  they  that  are  sick." 
Near  evening  I  held  a  society,  or  conference  meeting  at  Mr.  D.'s, 
and  it  was  very  well  attended.  ^ 

Aug.  5th. — I  rode  into  Madison,  and  spent  the  afternoon  with 

T— 30 


466  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

some  religious  people  there,   and  went  home  at  night  with  J 
Ritchie,  Esq.,  an  elder  in  the  church,  living  out  of  town. 

Aug.  6th. — Went  to  Mr.  C.'s,  another  elder  in  the  church,  who 
is  a  very  sedate  and  good  man.  He  was  raised  in  Rockbridge, 
Virginia,  and  he  told  me  much  concerning  a  revival  of  religion  in 
that  county  in  the  days  and  ministry  of  old  Parson  Graham.  The 
Rev.  Dr.  Alexander  of  Princeton,  was  one  of  the  converts. 

Sabbath,  Aug.  9th. — Preached  again  in  Madison.  The  day 
was  warm  and  pleasant,  but  the  place  of  preaching  bad.  It  was 
a  little,  old  log  court-house.  In  the  morning  it  was  crowded,  and 
numbers  were  out  of  the  doors;  but  in  the  afternoon,  there  were 
not  so  many. 

Aug.  18th. — I  felt  happy  to-day  in  meeting  at  W.  Dunn's, 
Esq.,  the  Rev.  O.  Fowler,  Missionary  from  Connecticut.  We 
had  been  acquainted  there  when  students  of  divinity;  and  were 
licensed  by  the  same  association.  It  was  now  very  pleasant  to 
meet  him  in  these  new  settlements.  At  5  P.M.,  we  attended 
meeting  together,  and  found  a  school-house  filled  with  people, 
waiting  to  hear.  I  preached,  and  he  prayed  after  sermon.  In 
prayer,  he  was  able,  devout,  and  solemn.  The  people  gave  very 
good  attention,  and  he  is  to  preach  to  them  the  next  Sabbath; 
whilst  I  make  another  trip  to  Graham's  Fork.  We  remained 
together  over  night.  Oh!  that  many  like  him  may  be  sent  into 
the  harvest  in  these  parts. 

Aug.  14th.— I  left  brother  F-  — ,  and*  rode  to  G.F.K.: 
stopped  by  the  way  at  Mr.  M'C.'s,  and  conversed  awhile  with 
the  family  upon  religion,  and  appointed  to  preach  a  lecture  there 
as  I  return  on  Monday.  They  had  just  buried  a  little  son,  and 
the  mother  seemed  serious. 

Aug.  15th. — Preached  at  Mr.  S.  Graham's,  at  2  P.M.,  and 
after  preaching,  rode  to  Mr.  Miller's,  five  miles  up  the  fork, 
where  I  held  a  conference  in  the  evening  with  his  family  and  a 
few  neighbours. 

Sabbath,  Aug.  16th. — There  is  no  house  in  the  neighbourhood 
large  enough  to  hold  the  people,  which  it  was  expected,  would 
be  at  preaching  today.  They  had,  therefore,  some  days  before, 
fixed  a  stand,  and  made  seats  in  the  woods.  The  place  was  well 
chosen,  and  the  arrangement  discovered  good  taste.  Time  for 
preaching  came,  and  I  went  forth  into  the  woods,  and  preached 
two  sermons  to  a  considerable  congregation,  who  were  very  still 
and  attentive.  The  blue  arch  of  heaven  was  my  canopy,  and 
the  forest  trees  were  thick  on  either  hand.  I  was  strengthened 


ISAAC  REED.  467 

and  encouraged,  and  in  the  afternoon  spoke  more  easily  than  in 
the  morning.  Here  again,  let  me  say,  "Hitherto  the  Lord  hath 
helped  me."  I  desire  to  rejoice  that  ever  I  came  over  into  this 
State,  and  that  I  came  out  to  see  this  poor  people,  who  so  much 
loved  the  preached  gospel,  but  who  have  had  so  little,  since  they 
settled  here.  I  am  the  second  Presbyterian  minister,  who  has 
visited  them;  but  Mr.  F.  is  to  follow  n  e  in  two  weeks. 

Monday  morning,  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  these  simple- 
hearted  people,  where  \  number  of  young  persons  are  seriously 
ii  .]  ressed.  May  the  Lord  bring  them  to  know  Him,  and  give 
them  peace  in  believing.  Rode  in  the  rain,  and  at  11  o'clock 
preached  at  Mr.  M'C- —  — 's.  Next  day,  with  brother  Fowler, 
rode  to  Madison,  and  attended  the  formation  of  the  Madison 
Bible  Society.  In  this  meeting,  we  both  addressed  the  people. 
Eighty  four  members  signed  the  constitution,  and  $96  were  paid 
into  the  hand  of  the  treasurer.  The  occasion  was,  to  most  of 
the  people,  altogether  new;  they  were  attentive,  and  seemed  to 
take  a  deep  interest  in  the  subject;  and  when  they  retired  from 
the  meeting,  a  smile  lighted  up  their  countenance,  and  bespoke 
good  will  to  fill  the  breast.  The  cause  is  the  Lord's. — It  is  to 
diffuse  more  widely  his  own  book,  and  he  seemed  to  smile  on  the 
efforts  of  his  people. 

Sabbath,  Aug.  23. — A  beautiful  day;  I  preached  again  two 
sermons  in  the  old  log  court-house;  the  attention  of  the  people 
seemed  very  good.  The  sermon  in  the  afternoon  was  accommo- 
dated to  encourage  the  people  to  build  a  meeting-house,  for  which 
they  are  making  an  effort.  The  text  was  Neh.  ii,  20:  "The 
God  of  heaven  he  will  prosper  us,  therefore,  we  his  servants  will 
arise  and  build." 

Aug.  29th. — I  have  been  this  week  18  miles  into  the  country, 
north  east  of  M.  and  preached  two  sermons,  and  visited  a  few 
scattered  Presbyterian  families,  and  this  afternoon  met  with  a 
few  ladies  and  assisted  them  to  form  a  religious  Tract  Society; 
they  have  had  opposition,  but  the  thing  is  accomplished;  it  is  a 
good  work,  and  though  few,  they  are  engaged  about  it.  May  the 
Lord  bless  and  prosper  them! 

Aug.  80th. — This  day  being  Sabbath,  I  preached  again  two 
sermons  in  Madison.  The  congregation  was  small. 

Sept.  1st. — Preached  a  lecture  in  the  school-house,  near  \V\ 
Dunn's,  Esq.  where  the  attendance  and  attention  were  very  good. 

Sept.  3d. — Left  this  settlement  and  rode  24  miles,  through  a 
thinly  settled  country  to  Charlestown,  the  seat  of  justice  of  Clark 


468  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

county.  Here  I  called  on  the  Rev.  Mr.  Todd,  and  tarried  with 
him  over  night.  Charlestown  is  a  considerable  place,  and  seems 
fast  improving. 

Sept.  4^h.- — Left  Mr.  Todd's  this  morning  and  went  to  Jeffer- 
son ville,  13  miles;  this  is  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio,  opposite  the 
mouth  of  Bear-Grass  creek.  I  found  there  Mr.  Webster,  a  col- 
lege acquaintance,  who  was  an  officer  in  the  late  war;  he  was  in 
the  battle  of  Bridgewater,  near  the  falls  of  Niagara,  where  he 
was  wounded,  and  left  for  dead  on  the  field  of  battle.  He  was 
shot  through  the  right  cheek,  and  the  ball  lodged  in  the  back 
part  of  the  neck;  being  taken  up  after  the  battle,  it  was  extracted, 
and  he  recovered;  after  this  he  read  law,  and  has  been  some  time 
in  practice.  In  the  afternoon  I  rode  to  New  Albany,  four  miles 
further  down  the  river.  To  this  place  I  had  a  letter  of  introduc- 
tion, and  put  up  with  Mr.  J.  Scribner,  an  elder  in  thePresbyterian 
church. 

LETTER  XXI 

New  Albany,  Ind.,  Oct.  4th,  1818. 
My  dear  C—      — , 

I  have  been  steadily  in  this  place,  visiting  the  people,  preach- 
ing, and  attending  to  ministerial  duties  near  five  weeks.  I  have 
preached  twice  every  Sabbath,  till  the  present,  when  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Fowler  preached  in  the  morning,  and  administered  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper.  I  have  also  attended  one  evening 
prayer-meeting  each  week.  I  have  also  attended  several  funerals. 
The  last  has  been  the  most  sickly  month  in  the  year;  many  have 
been  ill,  and  six  or  seven  have  died  since  I  came  here. 

This  is  a  new  place,  having  been  laid  out  into  town  lots  but 
five  years.  At  that  time  it  was  thickly  covered  with  heavy  tim- 
ber. It  is  now  rude  in  appearance,  and  has  few  good  houses,  but 
is  fast  improving,  and  contains  700  inhabitants;  its  situation  is 
eligible,  being  high  above  the  river,  and  lying  along  its  bank. 
The  surrounding  country  is  of  a  rich  soil,  but  thinly  settled,  and 
little  improved.  The  town  is  two  miles  below  the  Falls  of  the 
Ohio;  its  religious  character  is  low,  but  gaining.  There  are  two 
small  societies,  a  Presbyterian  and  a  Methodist.  In  the  Presby- 
terian the  communicants  are  13.  In  looking  over  my  journal,  I 
find  the  following,  written  a  few  days  after  I  first  came  into  the 
town.  "I  am  here  in  this  new  country.  I  have  come  to  this 
town;  why  it  is  I  know  not;  but  Divine  Providence  has  so  ordered 
it.  O  that  I  may  be  submissive!  heartily  inclined  to  do  my  duty 


ISAAC  REED.  469 

\\hilst  I  stay.  And  O  that  I  may  daily  feel  myself  the  Lord's 
servant,  and  be  about  my  master's  business!  This  evening  we 
begin  to  hold  the  monthly  concert  of  prayer  in  this  place.  O 
may  my  heart  be  engaged,  and  it  be  a  good  time  to  the  Lord's 
people  here!  It  is  a  sweet  and  refreshing  consideration,  to  think 
how  many  others,  in  various  parts  of  the  world,  are,  at  the  same 
time,  engaged  in  the  same  way.  Thy  kingdom  come,  O  Lord! 
and  may  the  whole  earth  be  filled  with  thy  glory.  Amen." 

I  have  been  in  this  place  as  long  as  I  intended,  at  my  first 
coming,  and  am  now  ready  to  depart  on  the  morrow,  having  to 
meet  the  Presbytery  of  Transylvania,  in  Mercer,  Ky.  next 
Wednesday.  Your's,  &c. 

LETTER  XXII. 

New  Albany,  Nov.  5th,  1818. 
Mr  Dear  C- — , 

After  several  weeks  absence,  and  travelling  through  a  con- 
siderable part  of  Kentucky,  I  am  again  at  this  place,  and  at  the 
request  of  the  people,  have  concluded  to  settle  here,  at  least  for 
the  present;  they  need  help,  and  I  wish  to  help  them.  But  I 
will  look  back  awhile,  and  give  some  account  of  my  late  tour. 

October  5th.- — It  was  late  this  morning  before  I  got  away  from 
New  Albany,  and  I  was  detained  an  hour  at  the  ferry;  before  I 
set  out,  the  trustees  put  in  my  hand  $30,  as  a  reward  for  my  serv- 
ices. No  people  in  this  western  country  have  treated  me  so  gen- 
erously. Passing  through  Louisville,  and  taking  the  Frankfort 
road,  I  put  up  at  an  inn,  eight  miles  short  of  Shelbyville.  Here 
I  found  a  liberally  educated  and  pious  young  man  of  Fairfield, 
Conn,  on  his  way  home,  after  spending  ten  months  in  this  state, 
teaching  in  a  private  family. 

Oct.  6th. — Travelled  in  company  with  the  young  man  above 
mentioned  till  afternoon,  when  our  roads  parted.  At  night  I 
reached  within  six  miles  of  the  place  of  the  meeting  of  the  Pres- 
bytery. 

Oct.  7th. — Met  the  Presbytery  at  its  opening  in  New  Provi- 
dence meeting-house.  The  Rev.  J.  Howe,  of  Greene  co.  preached 
the  sermon,  after  which  Presbytery  constituted,  and  adjourned 
to  meet  to-morrow.  I  lodged  with  the  Rev.  Thomas  Clelland, 
where  I  had  the  company  of  Messrs.  Howe  and  Nelson. 

Oct.  8th. — Presbytery  took  me  under  their  care,  and  con- 
cluded to  grant  me  an  examination,  and  if  approved,  to  ordain 
me  next  Saturday.  The  examination  commenced  this  P.M. 


470  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

October  9th. — The  examination  continued,  and  I  preached  my 
trial  sermon;  it  was  on  the  docrine  of  justification.  The  examina- 
tion is  sustained,  and  public  notice  given  of  ordination  to-morrow. 

Oct.  10th. — My  feelings  were  pleasant,  this  morning,  as  I 
rose  from  bed,  and  engaged  in  morning  duties.  I  was  solemn 
while  thinking  of  what  a  few  hours  would  bring  me  to  pass  through: 
— the  day  was  v  arm  and  the  weather  fair: — it  was  a  day  for  which 
I  had  long  wished,-  to  which  my  .aims  and  my  hopes  had  long 
directed:  for  it  was  the  day  when,  by  the  laying  on  of  the  hands 
of  the  Presbytery,  I  was  to  be  fully  invested  with  ministerial 
office  and  authority.  The  morning  was  now  come,  and  I  rejoiced 
with  thanksgiving: — the  sermon  \vas  preached  by  the  Rev.  J.  B. 
Lapsley,  from  2  Cor.  x.  4, — "For  the  weapons  of  our  warfare  are 
not  carnal,  but  mighty  through  God,  to  the  pulling  down  of 
strong  holds."  It  was  a  very  able  sermon;  and  in  the  prayer 
before  it,  he  was  both  able  and  fervent.  The  ordination  prayer 
was  offered  by  the  Rev.  J.  Howe,  presiding  bishop;  and  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship  given,  first  by  him,  and  then  by  each  of  the 
ministers: — He  also  gave  the  charge;  it  was  scriptural  and  very 
solemn : — solemn,  indeed,  was  the  whole  of  the  transaction,  though 
very  weak  in  health,  I  was  greatly  supported  in  spirit,  and  my 
mind  kept  even  through  the  whole.  This  was  the  most  momen- 
tous day  of  my  life.  And  now,  Lord,  I  am  thine,  for  ever  thine, 
nor  would  my  purpose  move: — so  I  thought  while  the  ordination 
lasted: — so  I'  think  whilst  I  record  it. 

Oct.  llth. — This  is  a  sacramental  Sabbath  in  this  place.  The 
congregation  was  very  large;  the  preaching  excellent;  and  the 
whole  service  especially  solemn:  many  were  in  tears:  a  goodly 
number  of  young  people  were,  I  trust,  truly  convicted.  Three 
young  men,  brothers,  were  admitted;  one  married  man  and  a 
young  woman  were  baptized. 

Oct.  12th. — I  preached,  and  Mr.  Cleland,  immediately  after 
me,  when  the  meeting  closed.  On  the  13th,  we  set  out  for  the 
Synod  at  Lexington:  on  our  way,  the  conversation  turned  on  a 
ministerial  facility,  of  introducing  and  keeping  up  religious  con- 
versation in  company,  and  on  common  occasions,  as  means  of 
doing  good.  He  said,  there  are  three  ways,  one  of  which  he 
embraced,  according  to  the  time,  disposition  of  persons,  or  other 
circumstances;  always  aiming  at  the  benefit  of  the  person  or  per- 
sons present.  One  way  is,  direct  and  personal  address,  question- 
ing, exhorting,  and  reasoning;  the  next  is,  whatever  be  the  sub- 
ject introduced,  so  to  shape  the  conversation  as  to  make  it  lead 


ISAAC  REED.  471 

into  religion;  and  then  it  may  be  most  personal  and  serious,  with- 
out difficulty,  and  generally  without  offence.  The  third  way  is, 
to  converse  directly  with  one  person,  with  a  view  and  aim  to 
interest,  impress,  and  instruct  another  person  present,  who  takes 
no  other  part  than  to  listen  to  it.  He  is  judged  by  many  to  have 
a  happy  gift  this  way,  and  has  been  a  very  popular  and  successful 
minister.  To  this,  I  might  add  my  own  conviction,  formed  on 
experience,  of  the  special  benefit  of  the  two  latter,  both  in  making 
the  desired  impression,  and  securing  the  good  will  of  the  person, 
whose  benefit  is  sought.  He  preached  at  night  in  the  house 
where  we  stayed. 

Oct.  14th. — The  Synod  met  in  Lexington,  and  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Cunningham  preached  the  opening  sermon;  when  Synod  con- 
stituted, and  adjourned  to  meet  next  day.  Its  sessions  continued 
from  day  to  day,  and  closed  on  the  19th;  there  was  preaching 
ever}r  evening,  and  a  missionary  sermon  on  Saturday;  after  which, 
a  free  conversation  was  held  on  the  state  of  religion  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Synod.  In  this  it  appeared  that  there  have  been 
special  revivals  of  religion  in  some  congregations.  In  Harrison 
county,  two  hundred  communicants  have  been  added  to  the 
church,  the  last  year;  between  ninety  and  one  hundred  in  Paris; 
one  hundred  and  thirty  in  Concord;  forty  four  in  New-Pro  vi- 
dence  in  Harodsburgh.  At  this  session,  Synod  resolved  to  estab- 
lish, on  Christian  principles,  a  new  college,  to  be  called  the  col- 
lege of  Kentucky,  and  located  at  Danville. 

Oct.  20th. — Left  Lexington,  and  travelled  in  company  with 
Messrs.  J.  Lyle  and  X.  H.  Hall,  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Nelson's,  near 
Danville;  and  next  clay  to  Springfield. 

Oct.  22d. — Visited  again  my  much-esteemed  friend  Mrs.  Reed, 
whore  I  spent  the  day  in  a  very  cheerful  and  pleasant  manner. 
Next  da}'  rode  to  Lebanon,  to  attend  a  sacrament  in  Hardin's 
creek  congregation:  the  meeting  commenced  the  day  before,  and 
I  preached  to-day. 

Oct.  24th. — This  day,  being  Sabbath,  the  congregation  was  too 
large  for  the  meeting-house,  and  they  retired  to  a  grove,  where 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Lyle  preached,  and  the  sacrament  was  adminis- 
tered: the  attention  seemed  solemn;  five  new  members  were 
added: — I  preached  again  this  evening;  next  day  Mr.  Cleland 
preached,  and  the  meeting  was  closed.  1  returned  the  same  even- 
ing to  Springfield,  and  left  there  the  next  day;  from  this,  my 
journey  was  very  pleasant  through  Nelson  and  Jefferson  counties, 
Kentucky,  to  this  town,  which  I  reached  the  evening  of  the  29th 


472  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

of  October.  I  was  expected  by  the  people,  who  had  raised  a 
salary  for  a  year,  by  subscription,  and  sent  after  me  to  Lexington, 
requesting  my  immediate  return,  and  settlement  with  them:— 
to  this  I  have  consented;  viewing  it  as  the  direction  of  Providence, 
for  my  usefulness  in  the  ministry.  Here  I  preached  last  Sabbath, 
to  a  considerable  congregation  of  attentive  hearers,  and  here  I 
expect  to  reside,  at  least  for  a  season;  using  my  endeavours  to 
serve  my  generation,  by  the  will  of  God,  in  the  ministry  of  the 
Gospel.  That  I  may  be  enabled  to  do  this,  and  rightly  divide 
the  word  of  truth  to  this  people,  I  devoutly  implore  the  influence 
and  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  O  may  the  Lord  bless  this  little 
church,  and  increase  it; — bless  this  town  and  reform  it; — refor- 
mation is  greatly  needed. 

Thus,  my  early  and  much-esteemed  friend,  have  I  been  led 
on  from  step  to  step,  and  from  place  to  place,  by  Divine  Provi- 
dence. Surely  he  hath  led  in  a  way,  which  I  knew  not;  and  he 
hath  guided  me'  with  his  eye; — he  hath  preserved  me  from  dan- 
gers seen  and  unseen; — he  hath  kept  me  from  death;  and,  in  the 
midst  of  sickness,  hath  given  me  to  speak  a  word  to  comfort  the 
distressed: — he  hath  led  me  to  a  people,  whom  I  knew  not;  and 
given  me  favour  in  their  sight; — wherefore,  let  my  heart  praise 
him; — let  my  pen  honour  him; — let  me  take  the  cup  of  salvation, 
and  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord; — the  Lord  is  my  helper  and  my 
shield; — let  me  not  fear  while  my  trust  is  in  him;  neither  in  the 
wilderness  nor  "in  the  city  full;" — but  may  it  be  my  constant  aim 
to  serve,  and  thus  to  glorify  him,  in  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 
to  which,  by  his  Spirit  and  Providence,  he  has  called  me.  And 
you,  my  friend,  you  know  of  his  mercies,  and  will  help  me  to 
praise  him.  And  let  me  request  that  I  may  even  share  in  your 
prayers,  and  that  the  people  of  these  western  regions,  who  are 
so  destitute  of  the  regular  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  may  also  be 
often  in  your  mind,  when  you  look  to  the  mercy-seat. 

May  the  peace  of  God  fill  your  heart,- — may  you  be  the 
honoured  instrument  of  winning  souls  to  the  blessed  Saviour,— 
and  finally,  with  ,all  the  redeemed,  that  blood-washed  throng, 
rest  in  his  holy  kingdom;  is  the  ardent  prayer  of,  dear  C-  — , 
your  early,  your  constant,  and  your  affectionate  friend.  Farewell. 

ISAAC  REED. 


ISAAC  REED.  473 

PART  II. 

RESIDENCE    AND    LABOURS    AT    NEW-ALBANY. 

AT  New- Albany  I  became  located  in  October,  1818.  The 
engagement  was  for  one  year.  The  salary  was  $500.  As  a  place, 
its  morals  were  low;  its  general  society  was  rude,  and  much  of  it 
profane.  There  were  some  pious  persons,  but  their  number  was 
small,  and  even  these  were  not  well  known  to  each  other,  nor 
united.  There  was  a  small  Presbyterian  church  of  fifteen  mem- 
bers, and  a  small  Methodist  society.  The  inhabitants  were  from 
various  parts  of  the  older  settled  countiy: — some  were  from  Con- 
necticut— more  from  New-Jersey,  some  from  Massachusetts, 
some  from  Pennsylvania,  numbers  from  Kentucky,  and  some 
from  Ireland.  The  place  itself  was  about  five  years  old,  but  its 
inhabitants  had  been  very  few  till  within  two  years:  it  had  now 
a  steam  saw-mill,  several  stores,  mechanics'  shops,  &c.,  and  a 
boat  yard  for  the  building  of  steam-boats.  Over  most  of  the 
town-plot,  lay  thickly,  the  large  trunks  of  trees  which  had  been 
felled,  but  were  not  removed.  This  plot  is  upon  the  bottom  lands 
of  the  Ohio  river,  a  mile  and  a  half  below  the  falls.  The  forest 
trees  had  been  thick  and  large,  and  many  of  the  poplars  of  immense 
size.  There  was  a  little  frame  covered  in  for  a  Methodist  meet- 
ing-house;— the  Presbyterians  had  none; — and  the  only  school- 
house  was  a  miserable  log  one.  In  this  state  of  things  my  year 
commenced  with  that  people.  I  undertook  with  this  Presby- 
terian society  with  an  intent  to  remain  with  them,  if  the  Lord 
should  so  direct,  and  rear  the  society  from  its  weak  and  low  condi- 
tion, till  it  should  become  a  numerous,  respectable,  and  strong 
society.  And  in  this  review  after  eight  years  of  absence,  I  am 
rather  surprised  that  I  succeeded  so  well,  and  did  so  much,  than 
that  I  did  not  succeed  better  and  do  more.  It  was  a  strained 
effort  on  the  part  of  the  society,  which  was  made  to  obtain  me. 
One  man  subscribed  $75,  another  $60,  another  $30.  The  church 
had  been  but  lately  formed,  and  had  three  elders,  neither  of  them 
experienced  respecting  their  office.  Many  of  the  people  were 
poor:  numbers  came  there  with  some  relics  of  better  condition,  to 
retrieve  their  fortunes.  The  place  had  a  sickly  character.  Num- 
bers were  single  men  just  setting  out  in  life;— some  as  merchants, 
others  as  mechanics.  The  buildings  were  mostly  crude;  either 
logs  or  frames  just  capable  of  being  occupied  by  families.  The 


474  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

families  were  too  numerous  for  the  buildings,  and  were  therefore 
cramped  for  room.  With  this  people,  thus  circumstanced,  I 
commenced  single  handed.  There  was  not  an  installed  minis!  <T 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  the  state;  and,  by  God's  blessing, 
I  kept  the  ground,  defended  and  fortified  the  post,  and  won  some 
from  without,  to  come  into  the  garrison.  This  year  was  one  of  the 
most  unremitted,  intense  and  painful  watchfulness  of  any  year 
of  my  life.  I  often  felt  the  weight  and  pressure  of  my  situation. 
My  hope  was  in  God,  and  he  sustained  me.  I  set  myself  to 
instruct  the  church — to  win  the  attention  of  my  hearers,  and  to 
become  acquainted  with  the  people.  It  was  not  long  before  the 
grocery  shops,  which  were  kept  open  on  the  Sabbath  when  I  came 
here,  were  closed  upon  that  holy  day.  A  respectable  number 
attended  meeting  on  the  Sabbath.  The  meetings  were  held  under 
great  inconveniences:  sometimes  in  the  old  school-house,  and 
sometimes  in  private  houses.  The  church  members  became  gradu- 
ally better  known  to  each  other  and  more  united.  The  church 
also  increased  slowly,  till  September,  1819:  then  a  number  of 
young  people  became  deeply  and  anxiously  impressed  with  a 
concern  for  their  salvation:  this  issued  in  the  hopeful  conversion 
of  several  in  a  short  time.  A  few  weeks  afterwards  nine  were 
added  to  the  church  in  one  day.  This  may  seem  small  in  other 
places,  but  it  was  great  here.  Some  others  were  added  to  the 
church  from  time  to  time  till  the  number  came  to  be  thirty-five 
before  my  leaving  it.  My  year  of  contract  was  now  out,  and  the 
society  was  incompetent  to  renew  the  salary.  The  largest  sub- 
scriber was  dead,  and  his  estates  deeply  involved  with  debts. 
The  times  seemed  changing  for  the  worse.  Many  of  the  society 
were  considerably  embarrased  with  debts.  My  heart  was  with 
the  people.  I  had  thought,  this  is  my  home,  and  here  will  I 
build  my  house.  I  delayed  with  them  till  December;  but  found 
it  necessary  at  that  time  to  remove.  It  was  trying  to  quit  this 
ground;  to  leave  my  plans  of  improvement;  to  leave  my  flock — 
numbers  of  which  were  young  and  tender  lambs,  just  beginning 
to  be  reckoned  of  the  flock  of  Christ: — but  it  seemed  necessary, 
and  I  felt  that  I  must  submit.  In  this  year  a  meeting  house  was 
built  by  my  society.  A  Sabbath  school  society  was  formed  in 
the  place,  and  a  school  of  sixty  scholars  gathered  and  instructed. 
This  was  the  first  Sabbath  school  society  ever  formed  in  the  State. 
The  same  year  the  Methodist  society  at  New-Albany  was 
increased;  and  just  before  the  close  of  the  year,  a  Baptist  society 
was  commenced. 


ISAAC  REED.  475 

My  travels  this  year  were  not  extensive.  In  the  fall  of  1818, 
I  made  a  tour  to  Frankfort,  Kentucky,  and  in  my  return  was 
well  nigh  being  drowned  in  attempting  to  ford  a  small  river,  which 
had  been  suddenly  raised  by  a  great  rain  the  preceding  night. 
It  was  immensly  rapid.  After  breaking  the  girth  of  my  saddle, 
and  being  carried  a  little  below  the  ford,  I  succeeded  in  getting 
out  on  the  same  side  I  went  in.  I  then  turned  back  and  took 
another  road.  Another  tour  was  to  attend  a  meeting  of  the 
Louisville  Presbytery,  held  at  Livonia,  in  the  interior  of  the 
settled  parts  of  Indiana.  The  others  were  chiefly  of  a  mission- 
ary character.  L*p  to  this  time  I  had  been  a  volunteer  for  the 
Gospel  in  the  Western  states.  I  now  began  to  be  in  the  commis- 
sion of  the  Missionary  Society  of  Connecticut.  Their  first  com- 
mission was  sent  me  this  year.  It  was  issued  in  January  1819, 
and  I  received  it  in  February  of  the  same  year.  But  I  did  noth- 
ing under  it  till  May,  when  I  spent  eight  days  in  the  two  next 
counties  down  the  Ohio  river  from  New-Albany.  In  this  tour 
travelled  95  miles,  visited  and  spent  the  Sabbath  with  a  little 
church  at  Corydon,  county  seat  of  Harrison  county,  and  then  the 
place  for  the  residence  of  the  Governor,  and  the  holding  the 
sessions  of  the  State  Legislature.  This  church  was  gathered  the 
preceding  winter  by  the  Rev.  John  F.  Crow,  and  consisted  of 
seven  members.  From  Corydon,  I  went  down  the  Ohio  liver  to 
Leavensworth,  and  Fredonia,  two  little  towns  of  Crawford  county, 
just  commencing,  and  lying  upon  the  Ohio  river.  Neither  of 
these  had  been  visited  by  any  Presbyterian  minister  before.  In 
this  tour  I  preached  seven  times — held  one  meeting  of  the  Cory- 
don church  session,  and  received  one  new  member. 

In  June,  I  made  a  tour  to  some  medicinal  springs  in  Mercer 
county,  Kentuck}-;  and  was  absent  from  New- Albany  between 
three  and  four  weeks.  In  this  tour  I  assisted  at  two  sacramental 
meetings.  The  first  was  held  in  a  grove  near  Springfield,  in 
Washington  county,  Kentucky.  The  attendance  was  great,  and 
the  attention  appeared  favourable.  In  this  county  are  two 
Presbyterian  churches  supplied  by  one  minister.  A  large  part 
of  the  population  are  Roman  Catholics.  The  other  was  held  in 
a  beautiful  little  grove  near  a  meeting  house,  about  two  miles 
from  Harodsburg.  The  attendance  was  great.  The  ministers 
were  the  Rev.  Thomas  Clelland,  the  pastor,  and  the  Rev.  J.  F. 
Crow,  of  Shelby  county.  The  state  of  feeling  seemed  to  be  lively. 
A  few  persons  made  a  Christian  profession.  About  twenty  have 


476  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

done  this  in  the  three  places  which  this  pastor  tends  upon,  since 
last  October. 

From  the  springs  in  Mercer,  I  went  to  Lancaster,  in  Garrard 
county,  and  spent  the  next  Sabbath;  and  returned  the  following 
week  to  New-Albany,  by  way  of  Frankfort,  Shelbyville,  and 
Louisville,  having  travelled  about  240  miles. 

At  an  earlier  time  the  same  season,  I  assisted  at  a  sacramental 
meeting  of  three  days  with  the  Rev.  John  F.  Crow,  at  a  place 
called  Fox-Run,  near  Shelbyville,  in  Shelby  county.  Here  also 
the  Sabbath  meeting  was  held  in  a  grove.  The  only  reason  why 
these  meetings  were  held  in  groves,  was  because  the  meeting 
houses  were  not  competent  to  contain  the  people.  This  is  very 
generally  the  case  at  sacramental  meetings  in  these  parts. 

In  August  I  attended  a  second  meeting  of  the  Louisville 
Presbytery.  This  was  held  at  New-Lexington,  Indiana.  There 
I  fulfilled  an  appointment  which  had  been  assigned  to  me  at  the 
spring  session.  This  was  to  preach  a  sermon  at  the  installation 
of  the  Rev.  John  M.  Dickey,  now  settling  at  this  place,  in  connec- 
tion with  another  eight  or  nine  miles  distant.  This  was  the  first 
Presbyterial  settlement  of  a  minister  in  the  State.  The  installa- 
tion was  on  Saturday,  and  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
followed  the  next  day.  Meeting  on  both  days,  and  Monday  also, 
was  held  in  the  wood,  under  the  shade  of  forest  trees. 

From  this  place  I  went  on  to  Madison,  about  16  miles  further 
up  the  Ohio  river.  There  I  greeted  again  the  friends  which  I 
had  made  in  my  labours  the  preceding  year.  I  also  did  the  same 
in  the  settlement  of  Dunn  and  Logan,  7  miles  below.  These 
people  had  showed  me  some  acts  of  religious  friendship.  They 
were  my  first  acquaintance  in  Indiana.  Their  manners  were 
plain  and  easy,  Christian  and  friendly;  and  they  were  peculiarly 
dear  to  me.  This  is  the  same  place  which  now  embraces  the 
society  of  my  friend,  the  Rev.  J.  F.  Crow:  and  they  have  now  a 
commodious  stone  meeting  house.  At  that  time  they  were  a 
part  of  the  church  at  Madison,  and  had  no  meeting-house. 

On  my  way  from  New-Lexington,  a  young  man  was  my  travel- 
ling companion,  who  lived  near  Madison.  He  was  now  a  pro- 
fessor of  religion,  and  in  the  communion  of  the  Madison  church. 
His  views  were  now  turned  towards  qualifications  for  the  gospel 
ministry.  He  informed  me  that  his  attention  had  been  greatly 
excited  when  hearing  me  preach  in  that  settlement,  the  preceding 
year.  The  first  time  I  ever  preached  in  the  woods,  he  heard  me; 
and  was  greatly  impressed  with  the  text,  and  the  whole  sermon. 


ISAAC  REED.  477 

The  text  was  Matt.  ix.  12 — They  that  be  whole  need  not  a  physician, 
but  they  that  are  sick.  That  young  man  is  now,  1827,  a  gospel 
minister  in  Indiana.  At  Madison  I  met  with  the  Rev.  Thomas 
C.  Searle.  He  had  just  arrived  there  under  the  patronage  of  the 
Missionary  Society  of  young  men  in  New7- York  city.  The  next 
year  he  became  settled  as  pastor,  and  died  there,  in  the  autumn 
of  1821.  I  returned  by  way  of  Charlestown,  where  I  preached  at 
night  during  the  term  of  the  circuit  court. 

In  September,  I  went  into  the  interior  of  the  State:  travelled 
through  several  counties,  and  preached  in  different  places,  and 
made  an  arrangement  to  distribute  bibles  in  some.  These  bibles 
were  the  remains  of  a  society,  which  has  been  formed  at  Jeffer- 
sonville  by  the  agency  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills  and  the  Rev. 
Daniel  Smith,  while  what  is  now  the  State  of  Indiana,  was  a 
territory;  and  I  think  it  was  while  Col.  Posey  was  Governor.  In 
the  new  and  frontier  counties  of  Monroe  and  Owen,  I  spent 
nearly  two  weeks.  In  both  these  counties  I  found  some  Pres- 
byterian families.  In  Monroe  county,  a  church  was  gathered 
and  constituted  at  Bloomington,  the  county  seat.  This  was  the 
first  church  formed  by  my  ministry.  From  this  I  returned  by 
way  of  Livonia,  and  saw  the  Rev.  Wm.  W.  Martin,  who  had 
located  there. 

A  slow  fever  had  commenced  upon  me  in  this  tour,  and  it 
rose  daily;  but  when  I  had  reached  New- Albany,  by  medicine 
and  a  blessing,  it  was  speedily  removed.  The  fall  Session  of  the 
Louisville  Presbyter}'  followed  soon.  This  was  held  at  Shelby- 
ville  in  Kentucky:  and  the  Synod  soon  after  at  Danville.  These 
were  both  attended  in  their  time  and  place:  and  the  attendance 
of  the  latter,  led  to  the  formation  of  a  new  relation  of  life.  There 
I  first  saw  the  companion  of  my  future  life.  She  was  a  widow's 
daughter,  then  resident  at  that  place;  but  had  lately  come  there. 
Her  family  were  of  the  second  Presbyterian  church  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia.  But  having  suffered  from  misfortunes,  they  had 
removed  to  Kentucky.  Here,  under  the  name  of  their  mother, 
the  three  daughters  taught  a  female  boarding  school. 

When  the  Synod  had  closed  its  sessions,  I  returned  by  way  of 
Frankfort  and  Shelby ville;  and  was  immediately  most  assiduously 
employed  in  my  little  society  till  the  20th  of  December,  when  I 
took  my  final  leave  of  that  society  as  its  minister. 

This  is  a  year  to  be  remembered  in  the  history  of  my  life.  It 
was  a  year  on  which  much  depended.  God  himself  was  my 
teacher.  I  held  a  station  in  which  much  was  needed,  and  from 


478  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

which  much  was  expected: — it  was  a  station,  for  which  the  activ- 
ity of  youth  and  the  wisdom  of  long  experience  were  requisite. 
My  health  was  weak,  but  my  mind  was  active,  and  my  efforts 
were  not  intermitted,  and  they  were  in  many  things  successful. 
In  this  year  I  also  published  a  piece  in  the  Weekly  Recorder,  a 
religious  paper  of  the  quarto  form,  edited  by  the  Rev.  John 
Andrews,  at  Chillicothe,  respecting  Indiana,  under  the  title, 
"The  budding  of  the  Wilderness,  or  a  Gospel  light  dawning  in 
Indiana." 


Some  Extracts  from  Correspondents  in  this  year,  addressed  to  the 

Rev.  Isaac  Reed. 

The  first  was  from  the  Post  Master  at  New- Albany,  and  sent 
to  the  writer  of  this  narrative,  when  at  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
attending  Synod. 

New-Albany,  Oct.  10th,  1818. 
Dear  Sir, 

With  pleasure  I  inform  you,  that  we  have  succeeded  with 
our  subscription  so  far,  as  to  enable  us  to  engage  with  you,  and 
ensure  you  five  hundred  dollars  a  year  for  the  present,  and  will 
thank  you  to  make  arrangements  accordingly,  and  come  as  soon 
as  convenient. 

I  am  respectfully,  your  friend  and  brother, 

JOEL  SCRIBNER. 

A  third  extract  is  taken  from  a  letter  of  the  Rev.  Orin  Fowler, 
then  a  Missionary  in  Indiana. 

Carlisle,  Jan.  12th,  1819. 
My  dear  Sir, 

I  have  just  returned  from  a  tour  up  the  Wabash,  as  far  as 
Fort  Harrison.  Your  letter  is  received,  and  read  with  pleasure; 
and  shall  now  be  answered.  That  you  are  in  usual  health — that 
you  have  reason  to  hope  you  will  yet  be  well  at  New- Albany;  I 
am  rejoiced  to  hear:  but  that  you  have  unexpected  difficulties, 
grieves  me.  May  the  Lord,  the  fountain  of  knowledge  and  con- 
solation, give  you  wisdom,  which  is  profitable  .to  direct;  and  the 
blessed  influences  of  his  Spirit,  to  comfort  you,  and  make  you 
instrumental  of  great  good,  in  that  part  of  the  vineyard,  where 
you  are  called  to  labour.  It  appears  that  God,  in  his  righteous 
providence,  has  removed  from  this  state  of  probation,  one  of 


ISAAC  REED.  479 

your  parishioners,  Mr.  Nathaniel  Scribner.  May  this  dispensa- 
tion be  sanctified  to  his  friends  and  fellow-citizens,  that  you  may 
all  finally  have  cause  to  say;  'It  was  good  for  me  to  be  afflicted.' 
Since  I  left  you,  my  health  has  been,  as  usual,  very  good.  I 
have  preached  very  often;  almost  every  day;  and  have  found  the 
people  generally  attentive  to  know  the  word:  though  the  diffi- 
culties and  discouragements  of  a  missionary  in  this  part  of  the 
State,  are  much  greater  than  in  the  eastern  and  middle  parts  of 
it.  I  have  been  on  a  tour  to  Monroe  county  (Bloomington 
county  seat)  which  was  very  fatiguing; — have  been  up  the 
Wabash  river  to  Fort  Harrison,  and  preached  in  nearly  every 
neighborhood  in  these  several  directions.  After  three  or  four 
weeks,  the  Lord  willing.  I  propose  to  return  to  my  old  field  of 
labour,  and  from  thence  to  my  native  land.  It  is  my  present 
intention  to  return  to  the  east,  upon  the  old  wilderness  route 
through  Virginia.  From  you,  I  hope  to  obtain  some  informa- 
tion of  importance,  relative  to  this  route.  That  the  consola- 
tions of  the  Holy  Spirit  may  be  ever  yours,  and  the  blessings  of 
heaven  attend  your  labours,  is  the  prayer  of  your  brother, 

O.  FOWLER. 
REV.  I.  REED. 

I  went  through  Shelby  county,  and  crossed  the 
Ohio  river  at  the  mouth  of  Harrod's  creek,  twelve  or  thirteen 
miles  above  Louisville.  Left  Charlestown  a  few  miles  to  the 
right,  and  passed  through  Salem,  Indiana.  Thus  far  I  had  the 
company  of  one  of  the  elders  in  my  church.  Thence  I  travelled 
alone.  I  reached  Bloomington  Saturday.  Rode  twenty  miles 
without  rny  breakfast,  and  then  found  the  family  where  I  stopped 
to  obtain  it,  without  bread,  meat,  or  flour, — they  had  potatoes, 
and  on  these  I  made  a  good  meal.  At  Bloomington  I  spent  the 
Sabbath  with  the  little  church,  which  I  had  formed  in  the  year 
1819,  and  preached  twice.  They  were  still  vacant,  and  but  little 
increased.  The  Lord's  Supper  had  been  twice  only  dispensed 
to  them  since  its  constitution.  Two  men  had  moved  in,  who  were 
ruling  elders  in  other  places,  and  were  chosen  such  by  this  church. 
For  the  election  of  the  second,  the  church  was  together  when  I 
arrived. 

Monday,  Nov.  5th. — I  went  on  from  Bloomington  to  Owen 
county.  Found,  after  some  difficulty,  my  way  to  the  residence 
of  Mrs.  Reed's  relations.  Most  of  them  were  in  health,  and 
elated  at  seeing  me;  but  her  uncle,  who  had  made  the  purchase, 
and  moved  the  family  there,  and  who  was  "the  head  of  Mrs. 


480  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Young's  family,  had  been  sick  with  a  fever,  and  was  now  slowly 
recovering.  The  rest  were  cheerful,  and  seemed  in  good  hopes. 
They  seemed  in  the  midst  of  the  woods,  and  had  not  a  cleared 
field  in  sight.  In  this  county  a  little  church  had  been  gathered, 
and  constituted  the  year  before,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dickey.  They 
held  Sabbath  meetings  about  five  miles  from  these  our  relatives. 
I  preached  at  Mr.  Holmes'  the  day  after  my  arrival,  and  for  this 
church  the  following  Sabbath:  and  that  week,  in  company  with 
my  brother-in-law,  went  through  the  woods  by  the  forks  of  the 
Eel  river,  to  the  Land  Office  of  Terre  Haute,  about  fifty  miles. 
There  I  entered  a  half  quarter  section  of  land  joining  upon  that 
bought  by  Mr.  Holmes.  Returned  and  preached  at  Mr.  Holmes' 
Wednesday  night,  from  Philippians  iv.  19. — "My  God  shall  supply 
all  your  need,  according  to  his  riches  in  glory,  by  Christ  Jesus." 
A  text  which  was  chosen  in  consequence  c~  the  situation  of  the 
family,  and  their  many  privations  here  in  this  wilderness;  and  it 
was  received  like  a  meal,  to  go  in  its  strength  many  days.  The 
next  day  I  forded  White  river  and  returned  to  Bloomington, 
twenty  miles. 

I  was  now  ninety  miles  from  New-Albany,  where  I  had  sent 
an  appointment  by  mail,  to  be  the  next  Sabbath;  and  I  had  but 
two  days  to -ride  it  in.  Left  Bloomington  Friday  morning,  and 
put  up  for  night  at  Orleans,  having  travelled  forty  miles.— 
Saturday  morning  I  was  up  and  started  at  daylight,  and  rode 
fourteen  miles  to  breakfast,  and  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening 
reached  New  Albany,  about  fifty  miles.  As  I  passed  over  the 
height  of  the  Knobbs,  about  four  miles  before  entering  the  town, 
a  scene  of  the  strong  sublime  opened  to  my  view.  It  was  star 
light,  with  a  clear  air,  and  the  sky  was  brilliant  and  glowing. 
Beneath,  over  the  broad  vale  of  the  Ohio  river,  rested  thin  clouds 
of  a  smoky  and  damp  atmosphere.  And  all  this  grandeur  and 
beauty  were  heightened  by  the  stillness  and  silence  of  the  night, 
and  the  solitude  of  the  observer.  The  writer's  mind  was  filled 
with  adoring  admiration,  while  he  gazed  in  silence  and  reflection 
as  he  descended  from  these  heights.  The  next  day  was  Sabbath, 
and  was  spent  at  New-Albany  in  preaching  again  to  that  people; 
but,  ah!  there  had  been  many  and  sad  changes  since  I  had  lived 
there: — some  were  removed  from  the  church  by  death; — some 
were  removed  away  from  the  place; — some  had  turned  aside  to 
ungodliness; — a  few  were  steadfast  and  abiding  here;  these  were 
mourning  over  the  desolations  and  the  abominations: — I  was  sad 
to  see  the  low  estate  of  Zion  here.  Their  meeting-house  was 


ISAAC  REED.  481 

burnt;  but  there  was  something  which  was  cheering  to  me  still 
in  all  this  wretchedness;  it  was  this: — a  number  of  the  young  con- 
verts, who  had  been  admitted  by  my  ministry,  were  still  cleaving 
to  the  Lord,  and  following  his  ways.  From  New- Albany  I  made 
my  way  to  Mercer  county,  Kentucky,  and  found  my  wife  and 
child  in  health;  the  night  after  my  arrival  there,  there  fell  a  deep 
snow,  which  kept  me  from  returning  to  Nicholasville  the  next  day: 
I  omit  to  send  you  the  particulars  of  my  journal, 
that  I  may  have  room  to  give  you  an  account  of  Indiana  as  a 
missionary  field;  I  think  it  an  encouraging  field,  could  it  be  sup- 
plied soon:  it  contains  140,000  inhabitants;  these  inhabitants  are 
settled  along  the  Ohio  river  more  than  three  hundred  miles, 
including  its  windings:  up  the  Wabash  river,  from  its  mouth,  two 
hundred  miles;  and  up  the  west  line  of  the  Ohio  State,  one  hundred 
and  thirty  or  more  miles:  settlements  are  contained  in  all  parts 
between  these  three  boundary-lines.  The  north  part  of  the  State 
is  not  yet  settled;  and  but  lately  purchased  of  the  Indians:  the 
east  part  of  the  State  from  the  Ohio  line  down  the  Ohio  river,  to 
a  point  directly  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky  river;  and 
to  a  line  running  thence  due  north  is  included  within  the  bounds 
of  the  Synod  of  Ohio.  I  know  not  how  many  Presbyterian 
churches  there  are  in  this  district;  it  is  among  the  oldest  settled 
parts  of  the  State;  it  is  about  forty  miles  wide  from  east  to  west; 
but  whatever  may  be  the  number  of  churches,  there  are  but  two 
Presbyterian  ministers,  and  neither  have  a  pastoral  charge. 
From  this  line,  proceeding  westward,  the  whole  remainder  of  the 
State  belongs  to  the  Synod  of  Kentucky;  this  is  a  tract  of  about 
one  hundred  miles  from  east  to  west;  and  many  parts  of  it  are 
thickly  settled:  all  this  territory  is  in  the  bounds  of  the  Louis- 
ville Presbytery;  and  in  it  all,  there  are  only  five  Presbyterian 
ministers  of  the  General  Assembly;  one  of  these  is  nearly  super- 
annuated; of  this  number,  three  only  are  settled  pastors;  one  of 
these  has  one,  another  two,  and  the  third  three  stated  places  for 
their  preaching:  besides  these  six  churches,  which  are  thus  par- 
tially supplied  with  preaching,  the  whole  of  the  rest  of  the  country 
is  missionary  ground;  and  in  it  there  are  now  fourteen  infant 
Presbyterian  churches;  several  of  these  have  been  gathered  and 
planted;  and  all  of  them  have  been  watered  by  missionaries;  of 
these,  the  missionaries  from  the  Connecticut  society,  have  borne 
their  full  share;  and  if  the  country  could  be  well  supplied  with 
missionaries,  who  could  spend  a  year  or  more  among  the  new 
settlements,  or  who  could  be  settled  in  them,  after  the  plan  of 

T— 31 


482  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

many  in  the  western  reserve  part  of  Ohio;  labouring  the  fourth 
part  or  more  of  his  time  as  the  pastor  to  some  church;  and  the 
rest  of  the  time  as  a  missionary;  there  is  a  fair  prospect  that  new 
churches  would  be  rapidly  forming.  I  have  travelled  consider- 
able in  new  settlements  in  other  parts,  besides  Indiana;  but  I 
have  never  found  so  great  numbers,  who  seem  to  be  religiously 
inclined,  and  who  are  professors  of  some  sort,  as  in  Indiana; 
there  are  all  the  kinds,  regular  and  irregular,  orthodox  and  heresy 
of  the  older  States. 

In  some  parts,  these  professions  are  gathered  into  societies, 
and  have  the  ordinances;  in  other  parts  they  are  scattered  here 
and  there  without  being  so  gathered.  You  therefore  see  the  need 
there  is  of  missionaries,  and  of  missionaries  who  are  faithful  men, 
able  also  to  teach  others;  and  these  places  must  be  supplied  by 
missionaries,  or  they  must  remain  unsupplied:  the  settlers  in 
general  are  poor;  and  the  churches  have  from  ten  to  fifty  communi- 
cants, male  and  female;  a  few  have  over  fifty,  and  numbers  have 
not  over  twenty,  and  some  less.  These  people  are  without  money; 
and  but  little  stock.  They  are  opening,  with  their  own  labour, 
farms,  where  the  land  is  heavily  timbered;  they  are  living  in  mud- 
walled  log  cabins.  What  can  these  people  do  towards  settling 
ministers,  who  must  be  supported  by  their  salaries? — what  can 
they  do? — in  money  they  cannot  do  hardly  any  thing;  the  older 
churches,  therefore,  must  send  them' missionaries,  and  help  them 
to  creep,  till  they  can  stand  and  go  alone:  or,  ah  me!  their  brethern 
perish  without  the  gospel;  and  the  neglect  of  their  poor  brethern 
will  be  upon  them. 

I  wish  to  raise  for  the  poor  inhabitants  of  Indiana,  the  Mace- 
donian cry;  "Come  over  and  help  us."  Brethern,  I  tell  you  what 
I  know;  I  speak  of  what  I  have  seen;  and  the  eagerness  of  those 
poor  people,  to  hear  the  gospel  and  to  attend  upon  the  appoint- 
ments of  your  missionary;  and  the  thankful  prayers,  (which  he 
heard  some  of  them  offer,)  are  still  fresh  in  his  recollection;  and 
they  plead  with  him  to  plead  with  his  older  brethren,  the  trus- 
tees of  the  Connecticut  society,  to  send  them  help,  as  they  may 
have  ability.  Brethern,  you  have  here  the  map  of  the  country 
before  you;  it  has  only  seven  Presbyterian  ministers;  and  it  has 
140,000  inhabitants;  these  are  scattered  over  an  area  of  country 
three  times  as  large  as  Connecticut;  and  what  makes  it  still  more 
important  is  this, — a  vast  tract  of  first-rate  land  has  been  lately 
brought  into  market,  and  is  now  fast  filling  up  with  people,  from 
nearly  all  the  other  States.  In  my  late  tour,  I  was  within  the 


ISAAC  REED.  483 

bounds  of  this  new  purchase,  and  preached  two  sermons  in  it; 
and  if  it  shall  please  the  trustees  to  continue  my  appointment,  I 
contemplate  removing  there  in  less  than  a  year,  to  endeavour  to 
'build  up  a  little  church  in  Owen  county,  and  to  labour  as  a 
missionary:  I  shall  then  be  in  the  heart  of  the  State,  and  of  the 
mission  ground;  and  I  think  I  could  do  more  good  in  the  church 
there  than  where  I  now  am. 


RETURN    TO    INDIANA — DESIGN    OF    THAT    RETURN LOCATION    ON 

THE  FRONTIER — RESIDENCE  AND  MINISTERIAL  LABOURS  OF 
NEAR  FOUR  YEARS — WITH  OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE  COUNTRY- 
ITS  RELIGIOUS  CHARACTER,  WANTS,  ENCOURAGEMENTS,  AND 
PROSPECTS — WITH  THE  NAMES  AND  PLACES  OF  THE  CHURCHES 
FORMED  BY  HIS  MINISTRY. 


IT  was  the  25th  of  September,  1822,  when  we  departed  from 
Nicholasville  in  our  migration  to  the  frontier  settlements  of 
Indiana.  This  journey  was  200  miles;  and  the  way  led  through 
Frankfort,  Louisville,  New- Albany  and  Bloomington: — Owen 
county,  and  the  place  of  location  in  it,  being  20  miles  beyond  the 
last  named  of  these  places.  A  four-horse  team  went  with  our 
stuff,  and  Elinor  and  myself  travelled  in  my  one  horse  dearborn. 

The  design  of  this  remove  has  been  partly  exhibited  in  PART 
THIRD,  in  the  letter  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Flint,  secretary  of  the  Con- 
necticut Missionary  Society. 

It  was  partly  to  enjoy  the  society  of  family  relatives;  but  it 
was  principally,  on  my  part,  to  take  the  blessing  of  the  gospel, 
in  its  ministry,  to  the  needy  and  the  destitute,  and  to  maintain 
and  preserve  them  there.  In  my  former  travels  I  had  seen,  meas- 
urably, the  condition  of  the  country.  I  knew  that  Presbyterian 
people  were  thinly  scattered  in  it.  I  saw  the  settlements  of  the 
country  were  spreading  very  rapidly,  and  that  none  of  our  min- 
isters were  venturing  a  location  on  the  frontiers.  I  saw,  that  to 
keep  our  people  and  to  instruct  their  children,  churches  must  be 
formed,  and  in  some  measure  supplied.  I  saw  also,  that  some 
minister  must  go  before  in  this  service;  that  his  example  and  his 
influence  might  induce  others  to  venture  out  and  follow  into 
these  needy  new  settlements.  I  saw  also,  that  the  field  needed 
that  some  minister  of  some  experience  should  commence  this  self- 
denying  and  laborious  service,  for  the  good  of  the  church  and  the 


484  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

salvation  of  souls.  And  as  none  others  had  given  themselves  up 
to  settle  in  those  new  parts  of  the  state,  the  writer  resolved  to 
venture  forward. and  lead  in  this  way. 

His  scheme  for  improvement  was  this: — To  locate  with  a  little 
infant  church  already  formed,  to  instruct  them  and  encourage 
them; — to  appropriate  the  one-half  of  his  ministerial  labours  to 
their  benefit:  and  to  receive  from  them  in  return,  as  much  salary 
as  they  should  be  able  to  raise,  paid  in  their  personal  labour,  or 
in  the  produce  of  their  farms.  The  balance  of  his  time  he  held, 
to  be  devoted  to  missionary  service;  and  his  plan  and  his  practice, 
was  to  spend  alternately  one  week  at  home,  and  the  next  abroad; 
and  certain  places  were  selected  for  these  missionary  labours, 
either  to  strengthen  and  nourish,  and  increase  some  churches, 
which  were  already  begun,  or  to  prepare  the  way  and  establish 
new  ones.  And  such  was  the  state  of  the  country  and  the  man- 
ner of  its  settlements,  that  these  places  were  distant  from  each 
other,  and  most  of  them  distant  from  the  writer's  residence  and 
charge.  The  consequence  was,  that  to  be  punctual  in  the  attend- 
ance of  his  appointments,  and  to  keep  up  the  hopes  of  the  Presby- 
terian people,  subjected  him  to  a  vast  deal  of  riding.  Respecting 
this  plan  and  this  field  of  action,  before  his  removal  from  Kentucky, 
he  wrote  to  a  friend,  a  student  of  theology  at  Princeton,  "that  it 
opened  to  the  view  of  his  mind  such  a  field  for  Christian  enter- 
prise and  usefulness,  as  almost  raised  him  above  himself." 

At  this  time,  this  was  theory,  but  theory  which  had  been 
formed  from  much  observation,  and  with  some  knowledge  of  the 
country,  and  it  soon  became  practice. 

It  was  the  first  week  in  October  when  we  arrived  in  Owen 
county,  Indiana. 

My  place  was  new  and  covered  with  timber. — A  tenement 
was  to  be  prepared;  I  found  much  difficulty  to  obtain  labour  from 
the  people,  they  being  hurried  with  their  own  work.  As  far  as 
my  own  personal  labour  could  supply  this  dificiency,  it  was  sup- 
plied. But  still,  with  all  my  efforts,  much  was  lacking;  my  build- 
ing progressed  slowly,  and  to  increase  my  difficulty,  the  winter 
closed  in  early.  We  entered  our  house  the  week  before  Christ- 
mas, and  occupied  it  that  winter,  without  a  loft,  with  no  plaster- 
ing of  the  chinking,  between  the  logs,  above  the  joice  plates,  and 
with  a  large  wooden  chimney  place  cut  out  of  the  end  of  the  house, 
and  built  up  a  little  above  the  mantle  piece. 

Wood  was  plenty,  and  well  it  need  to  be,  for  a  situation  like 
that.  Yet  many  were  the  comforts  which  were  mingled  with 


ISAAC  REED.  485 

those  difficulties,  though  the  trial  sat  heavily  on  my  Elinor.  And 
indeed,  I  have  often  wondered  since  that  time,  how  I  could  have 
ever  had  resolution  enough  to  have  voluntarily  brought  myself 
into  that  situation.  But  now  necessity  pushed  us  on,  and  hope 
cheered  us  with  the  return  of  spring,  and  a  better  prospect  in  the 
future.  Nor  do  I  remember  that  I  ever  felt  a  wish  that  I  had  not 
ventured  upon  this  service.  It  always  appeared  to  me  to  be 
worthy  of  my  trials  in  it.  This  winter  of  1822  and  '23  I  did  not 
go  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  county,  except  a  few  times  into 
Monroe,  and  to  supply  at  Bloomington. 

Before  the  spring  meeting  of  Presbytery,  which  was  held  at 
Charlestown,  105  miles  distant,  a  call  was  made  out  by  the 
Bethany  church  in  Owen  county,  to  obtain  my  ministerial  labours 
for  one  half  of  the  time.  I  attended  the  Presbytery  and  accepted 
the  call,  when  the  arrangements  were  made  for  an  installation  in 
August.  Soon  after  my  return  from  this  Presbytery,  I  began  to 
open  regularly  upon  my  plan  of  missionary  labour.  About  the 
time  of  my  removal  from  Kentucky,  the  Rev.  David  C.  Proctor 
engaged  for  a  year  at  Indianapolis,  for  three-fourths  of  his  time, 
and  soon  after  he  engaged  to  supply  the  remaining  fourth  part  of 
his  time  at  Bloomington.  These  places  are  52  miles  apart.  In 
passing  from  one  to  the  other  of  these  places,  he  usually  came  by 
my  house.  It  was  not  before  July  of  this  year  that  the  way 
became  prepared  to  constitute  a  church  at  Indianapolis.  My 
first  visit  to  that  place  was  through  many  perils  of  waters  by  the 
way,  in  company  with  Mr.  Proctor,  the  3d  of  July.  On  the  after- 
noon of  the  4th  I  preached  to  the  Presbyterian  friends  at  a  cabi- 
net maker's  shop;  and  at  the  same  place  on  the  morning  of  the 
5th,  I  presided  as  moderator,  in  the  formation  of  the  church  at 
Indianapolis.  The  same  day  two  other  ministers  arrived;  the 
next  day  was  the  Sabbath,  and  there  were  four  ministers  with 
this  new-formed  church.  This  was  now  the  second  year  of  the 
settlement  of  this  town.  In  the  same  month  I  made  my  first 
tour  through  the  churches  and  settlements  near  the  Wabash  above 
Terre  Ha  ate,  and  visited  the  newly  located  town  of  Crawfords- 
ville.  In  this  tour,  I  passed  a  night  in  the  woods,  without  human 
company,  or  other  light  than  that  made  by  the  lightning. 

In  August,  I  went  to  a  sacrament  in  Knox  county,  and  first 
saw  Vincennes;  this  was  about  85  miles  from  my  residence, 
nearly  south  west; — here  has  been  a  Presbyterian  minister  for 
many  years  well  nigh  alone,  keeping  a  Presbyterian  post  near 
the  old  French  military  post  of  Vincennes.  To  this  place  I  was 


486  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

invited  by  the  resident  minister  to  assist  him  in  a  sacramental 
meeting  to  be  given  on  Friday. — In  October,  I  again  attended 
Presbytery;  (this  session  was  held  at  Shelby ville,  Kentucky;) 
and  from  Presbytery  went  on  to  Synod  at  Lexington;  this  was  a 
travel  of  150  miles  to  attend  Presbytery,  and  200,  or  very  nearly, 
to  attend  Synod.  After  the  Synod,  I  visited  Nicholasville, 
White  Oak,  and  Danville;  preached  again  on  the  Sabbath  to  my 
congregation  of  Nicholasville,  and  a  number  of  times  in  the 
county;  this  is  the  last  time  of  my  being  in  those  places.  That 
meeting  of  Synod  divided  the  Louisville  Presbytery,  and  formed 
a  new  one  in  Indiana;  this  had  been  an  object  greatly  desired  by 
the  members  in  Indiana.  The  new  one  was,  at  my  suggestion, 
named  "Salem  Presbytery."  In  this  name  I  regarded  its  Scrip- 
tural signification; — its  first  renting  was  not  held  till  the  follow- 
ing April. 


In  April,  1824,  the  Salem  Presbytery  had  its  first  meeting. 
This  was  held  in  the  town  of  Salem.  That  meeting  I  attended, 
and  was  one  of  the  committee  to  form  rules  for  its  regulations, 
and  times  of  meeting.  I  also  drew  up  the  report  respecting  the 
state  of  religion  within  its  bounds.  In  this  I  endeavoured  to  give 
a  brief  outline  of  the  country,  with  its  need  of  increase  of  minis- 
ters. This  report  was  designed  for  the  general  assembly  at 
Philadelphia,  whither  it  was  sent.  A  copy  was  also  sent  to  Hart- 
ford, Connecticut,  and  published  in  the  Connecticut  Observer. 

Immediately  after  Presbytery,  I  spent  some  days,  by  special 
request,  in  the  south  part  of  Washington  county,  to  form  a  church ; 
this  church  was  formed  and  named  "Bethlehem."  I  think  its 
members  were  14;  to  this  church  I  administered  the  sacrament  the 
day  after  its  formation.  Early  this  spring  was  printed  my  first 
little  book;  this  was  a  tract  of  twelve  pages  with  this  title,  "The 
Christian's  Duty;"  of  this,  I  published  an  edition  of  a  thousand 
copies.  Most  of  these  I  have  either  distributed  gratuitously  or 
sold,  and  I  have  reason  to  believe  they  have  been  useful.  This 
year  I  also  constituted  two  other  Presbyterian  churches,  and 
revived,  by  God's  blessing,  a  third.  The  first  of  these  was 
gathered  at  Crawfordsville  in  June,  and  revisited  and  the  sacra- 
ment administered  in  September.  The  other  was  over  the  Wabash 
river,  in  Edgar  county,  Illinois.  This  was  over  70  miles  west- 
ward from  my  residence.  It  was  not  till  after  a  third  application 
that  I  was  able  to  go. 


ISAAC  REED.  487 

At  the  time  of  that  visit,  there  seemed  a  special  divine  influence 
on  the  minds  of  several.  Returning  from  that  place,  I  came 
through  a  relic  of  a  church  formed  just  upon  the  line  of  the  two 
states,  by  the  Rev.  N.  B.  Denow.  It  had  now  but  one  ruling 
elder  and  nine  or  ten  members;  but  here  the  spirit  of  the  Lord 
seemed  to  be  moving  on  the  minds  of  numbers.  I  held  a  sacra- 
ment for  them  and  others  on  the  east  side  of  the  Wabash  river, 
in  the  village  of  Terre  Haute,  on  Thursday  in  the  week,  and  five 
were  received  into  this  little  church,  and  from  that  time  it  has  a 
blessed  season  of  revival  till  its  numbers  were  seventy.  Its  first 
name  had  been  "Hope well,"  but  at  my  suggestion,  it  was  changed 
to  New  Hope.  Of  this  tour  and  these  things,  a  letter  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Western  Luminary,  printed  at  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
under  the  title  of  "Good  News  from  the  Frontiers." 

In  the  fall  of  1823,  the  Rev.  D.  C.  Proctor  left  Indiana,  and 
located  in  Kentucky.  From  this  time,  the  particular  care  of  the 
church  at  Bloomington  and  at  Indianapolis,  fell  upon  me,  till  the 
arrival  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bush  at  the  latter  place  in  the  summer  of 
1824,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hall  at  Bloomington  near  the  same  time. 
Neither  sacraments  nor  baptism  were  performed  in  either,  but 
by  my  ministry.  My  travels  in  this  year,  1824,  were  2,480  miles. 
I  attended  sixteen  sacramental  meetings,  in  which  I  either  had 
the  whole  ministerial  labours,  or  assisted  with  others;  examined 
about  forty  persons,  who  were  received  into  the  communion  of 
the  church;  nine  of  these  where  I  was  pastor.  Baptised  eight 
adults  and  sixty-one  children. 

The  fall  session  of  our  Presbytery  was  held  at  Charlestown. 
At  this  was  granted  the  first  licensure,  which  ever  took  place  in 
the  Presbyterian  church  in  Indiana.  At  this  meeting,  the  writer 
acted  as  moderator;  as  he  did  also  in  the  first  ordination  the  fol- 
lowing March.  In  the  spring  session  of  the  Presbytery  of  1825, 
which  was  held  at  Washington,  the  writer  preached  the  opening 
sermon,  and  the  following  week  he  preached  the  ordination  ser- 
mon at  Bloomington,  when  the  Rev.  B.  R.  Hall  was  ordained  and 
installed  over  the  church  at  Bloomington.  In  this  year  there 
were  six  ordinations  in  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Indiana.  Four 
of  these  I  attended  and  took  a  part; — at  the  first,  which  was  the 
Rev.  Geo.  Bush  at  Indianapolis;  as  moderator,  I  gave  out  the 
appointments  to  the  others,  and  took  the  address  to  the  congre- 
gation on  myself.  At  the  second,  which  was  this  at  Bloomington, 
I  preached  the  sermon.  At  the  next,  which  was  the  Rev.  Alex- 
ander Williamson  as  evangelist,  I  was  not  present.  At  the  fourth, 


488  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

which  was  the  Rev.  T.  H.  Brown,  over  the  Bethlehem  church,  I 
preached  the  sermon.  At  the  fifth,  which  was  the  Rev.  Stephen 
Bliss  as  evangelist,  and  which  took  place  at  Vincennes,  I  gave  the 
charge  to  the  evangelist. 

This  was  at  a  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  held  in  connexion 
with  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Indiana  Missionary  Society;  this 
was  a  society  in  which  I  felt  a  great  interest.  It  was  formed  by 
the  brethren  in  Indiana,  in  the  summer  of  1822;  whilst  I  was  in 
Kentucky  I  became  a  member  of  it,  at  its  first  anniversary,  1823, 
and  received  a  commission  to  perform  eight  weeks  of  missionary 
labours.  A  part  of  these  weeks  of  labour  were  performed.  That 
anniversary  I  was  not  able  to  attend. 

The  second  anniversary,  which  was  held  in  August,  1824,  I 
attended,  and  made  myself  and  my  wife  life  members,  by  the 
payment  of  10  dollars  for  each.  The  next  year,  was  this  time  at 
Vincennes,  when  I  made  my  oldest  child  a  life  member  by  the 
payment  of  10  dollars  more,  and  before  leaving  Indiana,  in  1826, 
I  made  another  child  a  life  member  by  the  payment  of  10  dollars 
more;  I  also  interested  myself  much  in  the  increase  of  its  funds 
by  others,  and  with  some  success;  particularly  was  this  the  case 
at  Bloomington,  Charlestown,  Indianapolis,  and  Terre  Haute, 
and  from  a  female  friend  in  Green  county.  I  looked  upon  it  as 
a  means  which  promised  great  good  to  the  needy  churches  in 
Indiana,  and  its  meetings  were  seasons  of  much  satisfaction  to 
my  mind.  The  last  of  these  meetings  which  I  was  favoured  to 
attend,  was  that  in  August,  1825,  where,  in  connexion  with  another 
brother,  I  drew  up  its  report  and  prepared  it  for  the  press.  In 
the  summer  also  of  this  year,  I  published  two  sermons  in  one  book. 
One  of  these  was  a  New- Year's  sermon  to  the  young  people  of 
Owen  county,  the  other,  the  ordination  sermon  at  Bloomington. 
This  sermon  also  the  Salem  Presbytery  had  printed,  at  Lexington, 
Kentucky.  A  little  book  of  my  preparing,  called  "Conversations 
on  Infant  Baptism,  mainly  abridged  from  a  work  of  Charles 
Jaram,  A.M.,  of  England."  This  abridgment  had  been  first 
made,  when  I  resided  at  Nicholasville;  it  was  now  revised  the  last 
winter,  and  submitted  to  our  Presbytery  in  its  session  at  Bloom- 
ington in  April.  By  them  it  was  adopted,  and  a  resolution  passed 
to  publish  it.  It  was  published  in  an  edition  of  1000  copies. 
These  were  sold,  as  far  as  I  have  known,  very  readily. 

This  year  my  missionary  labours  were  principally  bestowed 
upon  certain  settlements  in  Green  county,  which  lay  south  west 
of  my  residence,  and  upon  several  settlements  in  Putnam  county, 


ISAAC  REED.  489 

which  lay  west,  and  upon  three  settlements  in  Johnson  county, 
which  lay  north  east.  My  effort  was,  to  found  a  Presbyterian 
church  in  each  of  these  counties;  and  though  there  were  many 
impediments  and  few  memberSj  and  in  two  of  them,  these  few 
members  lived  very  distant  from  each  other,  yet  the  Lord  blessed 
my  labours.  These  members  were  brought  together,  and  a 
church  was  constituted  in  each  county.  The  one  in  Green  was 
formed  in  July,  with  three  male  and  two  female  members.  This 
is  the  smallest  number  of  which  I  have  ever  formed  a  church;  and 
it  seems  that  a  blessing  has  been  in  it,  for,  before  I  left  the  State, 
in  1826,  it  had  increased  to  twelve  members.  This  society 
seemed  to  form  a  connecting  link  between  the  upper  and  the  lower 
Presbyterian  churches  near  White  river.  Before  this  there  was 
no  Presbyterian  church  between  my  own  in  Owen  county,  and 
Washington  in  Davies'  county,  about  70  miles.  This  new  formed 
one  was  in  the  intervening  county,  and  about  the  middle  way 
between  the  others.  Upward  upon,  or  near  White  river,  the 
nearest  was  Indianapolis,  45  miles  above  my  place.  The  church 
formed  in  Putnam  county,  formed  a  connecting  link  between 
the  Presbyterian  churches  on  White  river  and  those  on  the 
Wabash;  it  being  about  middle  way  between  them,  and  the  road, 
from  both  Indianapolis  and  Bloomington,  pass  through  the 
county  seat  of  Putnam. 

To  form  this  church  required  much  previous  labour  in  preach- 
ing, visiting,  and  travel.  The  preparation  was  commenced  the 
preceding  year,  and  the  church  was  constituted  in  August  of  this 
year,  with  twelve  members;  four  of  these  were  received  by 
examination. 

In  September  of  this  year,  I  visited  the  churches  of  Paris  and 
New  Hope,  west  of  the  Wabash :  from  the  former  I  had  received 
a  Macedonian  call,  when  at  Presbytery  at  Vincennes:  and,  as 
said  Nehemiah  of  the  king  of  Persia,  I  had  set  them  a  time,  and  in 
this  time,  as  the  Lord  would  have  it,  I  came  to  condole  with 
them  in  their  affliction,  at  the  death  of  a  missionary,  who  had 
been  with  them  from  the  spring  till  the  middle  of  July,  and  by 
whom  they  had  been  greatly  blessed.  The  Lord  owned  his 
ministry  with  them,  and  they  loved  him.  Soon  after  he  left 
them  to  return  to  his  friends  in  New- York  state,  he  was  taken 
sick  at  Vincennes,  and  died  about  the  middle  of  August.  His 
name  was  John  Young,  about  28  years  old,  and  he  had  been 
about  eight  months  living  in  the  State.  To  both  these  congre- 
gations, I  preached  a  funeral  sermon  respecting  his  death;  they 


490  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

requested  its  publication,  and  provided  the  means;  it  was  printed 
at  Indianapolis  in  October. 


I  have  thought  my  readers  would  like  to  have  introduced  a 
short  specimen  of  my  journal.  I  begin  with  my  last  missionary 
tour,  before  my  leaving  the  service  and  the  State,  in  1826.  The 
notices  are  short,  and  the  journal  is  as  follows. 

April  llth,  1826.- — Left  home  on  a  mission  tour.  Mrs.  Reed 
and  Mr.  Dayhoff  were  with  me.  There  was  a  great  freshet  in 
White  river.  We  had  to  ride  about  fifteen  miles  to  get  nine. 
Passed  the  first  night  at  Spencer.  This  is  a  little  place,  which 
improves  but  slowly. 

April  12th. — Crossed  White  river  by  a  ferry,  and  made  our 
way  downward  upon  the  East  side.  The  creeks  on  the  west  side 
being  impassable  from  back  water  out  of  White  river.  On  this 
side,  too,  the  low  bottoms  were  under  water,  and  the  back  water 
filled  the  mouths  of  all  the  creeks.  Often  we  could  not  keep  the 
road,  but  had  to  make  through  the  woods — to  climb  the  steep 
points  of  the  hills,  and  cross  over  the  guts.  Two  creeks  we  crossed 
upon  fallen  trees.  We  had  first  to  strip  our  horses,  and  drive 
them  through  swimming;  then  to  walk  the  log,  and  carry  over 
our  saddles,  great  coats,  and  saddle-bags — catch  our  horses — 
remount,  and  make  our  way  through  the  woods  and  brush. 
Rode  about  thirty  miles,  which  took  up  the  whole  day. 

April  13th. — Crossed  W^hite  river,  by  another  ferry,  a  distance 
of  three  quarters  of  a  mile.  When  the  water  is  within  the  river 
banks  the  ferry  is  not  above  ten  rods.  The  water  has  been  three 
feet  higher  with  this  rise  than  was  the  preceding.  Got  a  late 
breakfast  at  Mr.  Ingersol's,  near  the  river;  then  crossed  the 
prairie  to  Mr.  Dayhoff's.  He  was  now  my  travelling  companion, 
and  had  been  to  Owen  to  attend  the  Presbytery,  as  a  ruling  elder 
from  the  White  river  church  in  Green  county.  This  made  a  ride 
of  eight  miles  to-day.  Preached  at  night  at  his  house  on  Scaffold 
Prairie:  it  was  a  small  congregation.  The  settlement  is  very 
small.  The  attention  seemed  good.  This  and  surrounding  set- 
tlements are  an  encouraging  field  for  missionary  labour. 

April  14th. — Spent  the  morning  at  Mr.  Dayhoff's,  partly 
writing  in  my  journal;  then  rode  five  miles  to  Nine  Mile  Prairie. 
This  settlement  has  six  families— visited  two,  and  catechized  one 
of  them.  Preached  at  night;  very  good  attendance,  and  still 
attention. 


ISAAC  REED.  491 

April  loth. — Returned  to  Scaffold  Prairie — visited  two  fam- 
ilies, and  preached  at  night.  This  is  a  very  needy  missionary 
tract. 

April  16th,  Sabbath. — Rode  seven  miles  and  preached  two 
sermons  at  a  school-house,  called  "Fairplay"  School-house.  The 
attendance  and  attention  were  pretty  good.  In  this  neighbour- 
hood there  are  some  of  the  advocates  of  Robert  Owen's  new 
system  of  society- — visited  two  families. 

April  17th.— Returned  to  Scaffold  prairie — was  this  day  very 
weak,  being  much  overdone. 

April  18th. — Copied  the  records  of  the  White  river  church, 
which  I  had  constituted  the  last  summer  with  five  members.  It 
was  now  increased  to  twelve  members.  It  has  had  no  supplies 
but  the  few  visits  which  I  have  made.  Wrote  a  man  his  will 
to-day. 

April  19th. — A  very  high  and  strong  wind  to-day.  Started 
this  morning,  Elinor  with  me,  and  our  infant  child,  and  rode 
about  five  miles  on  our  way  toward  Terre  Haute,  but  the  wind 
was  so  strong,  and  the  way  so  wet,  that  we  returned  to  Mr.  Dayhoff's. 
Read  in  Josephus'  History  the  wars  of  the  Jews. 

April  20th. — Mrs.  Reed  concluded  to  stay  behind,  and  let  me 
go  up  the  Wabash  without  her.  Travelled  thirty-four  miles, — 
most  of  the  way  was  through  wet  clay  prairies.  It  was  seventeen 
miles  to  the  first  house,  then  six  miles  to  the  next.  Spent  the 
night  at  Terre  Haute. 

April  21st.- — Called  to  see  two  young  men,  merchants,  whose 
younger  brother  died  last  night.  Saw  the  corpse:  the  case  was 
pleurisy;- — the  disease  was  violent  and  rapid — lasted  just  twenty- 
five  hours.  After  this,  I  rode  thirty-four  miles,  and  crossed  the 
Wabash  river  into  Vermillion  county.  On  my  way  to-day,  I 
had  to  ferry  across  Raccoon  creek.  The  young  man  who  tended 
and  worked  the  flat,  used  considerable  profane  language.  I  was 
silent  till  we  were  over,  and  then,  as  I  handed  him  the  ferriage 
money,  looking  him  in  the  face,  I  said,  "I  have  one  request  to 
make  of  you,  Sir;  it  is,  that  the  next  man  you  ferry  over,  shall 
not  hear  you  swear."  The  man  looked  confused,  and  was  silent. 

April  22d. — Rode  eight  miles  in  Vermillion  county,  and 
visited  one  family.  Appointed  to  preach  to-morrow  at  a  log 
school-house,  in  the  central  part  of  the  county.  I  was  this  day 
very  ill  with  a  severe  cold  deeply  seated  in  my  head.  I  think  the 
prospect  is  good  of  getting  a  church  here.  O  Lord,  strengthen 
me  to  the  work. 


492  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

April  23d,  Sabbath. — Rode  four  miles  to  the  school-house,  and 
preached.  Then,  three  miles  further,  to  visit  a  family  and  pass 
the  night,  the  woman  being  a  member  of  the  church  in  Vigo 
county.  The  Lord  be  praised:  I  have  been  supported  to-day, 
and  feel  much  better  this  evening  than  I  did  in  the  morning.  I 
am  now  on  the  bank  of  the  Little  Vermillion  river. 

April  24th. — Rode  four  or  five  miles,  and  visited  two  families. 
In  one  of  these  were  two  church  members,  but  no  appearance  of 
religion  at  the  other. 

April  25th. — Rode  three  miles  and  preached  in  a  private  house, 
near  the  Big  Vermillion  river;  there  was  only  a  small  attendance. 

April  26th. — Rode  nine  miles  and  preached  at  a  house  on  Big 
Vermillion  prairie.  It  was  a  very  beautiful  place,  and  an  atten- 
tive congregation.  Visited  three  families. 

April  27th. — Visited  three  families,  and  rode  five  miles. 

April  28th. — Rode  four  miles,  and  visited  two  families.  In 
one  of  these  I  examined  four  persons  for  church  membership. 
Two  of  these  were  an  old  couple,  who  have  been  40  years  married; 
they  are  about  70  years  old.  Two  were  young  women  daughters 
of  this  old  couple.  This  family  is  from  Pennsylvania. 

April  29. — Preached  a  sermon  on  family  religion,  and  baptised 
an  infant  child.  I  then  set  apart  and  constituted  a  new  church; 
called  for  the  river  and  county,  "Vermillion  church."  It  consists 
of  four  male  and  nine  female  members.  Four  of  them  were 
received  by  examination,  the  other  nine  had  been  members  in 
other  places.  I  also  wrote  a  subscription  paper  for  this  new 
congregation. 

Sabbath,  30th  April,  1826. — This  was  a  lovely  day  in  weather 
and  in  worship  at  this  place. — Preached  at  Mr.  Thompson's,  near 
the  south  bank  of  the  Big  Vermillion,  and  near  the  west  bank  of 
the  Wabash.  After  sermon,  administered  the  Lord's  supper  to 
the  new  church  of  Vermillion.  Received  one  member  by  letter, 
making  fourteen  members  in  all.  Rode  9  miles  to  lodge  that 
night. 

May  1. — Re-crossed  the  Wabash,  and  rode  38  miles  down  the 
river  in  my  returning  way.  Lodged  about  five  miles  below  Terre 
Haute,  at  Mr.  Caldwell's.  This  family  is  friendly,  and  Presby- 
terially  attached,  but  not  pious. 

May  2. — This  was  a  very  rainy  day.  I  had  appointed  to  be 
back  where  I  had  left  Mrs.  Reed  to-day,  and  to  preach  there 
to-morrow. — The  first  part  of  the  day,  the  rain  -was  light,  but 
increased.  Rode  32  miles  without  stopping,  the  last  13  miles  in 


ISAAC  REED.  493 

a  very  fast  rain;  was  thoroughly  drenched,  but  reached  my 
destined  place  some  time  before  night;  found  my  wife  and  child 
well,  with  all  the  friends  at  Mr.  Dayhoff' s. 

May  3. — Clear  and  pleasant;  felt  a  little  dull  and  sore,  from 
my  hard  and  wet  ride;  read  some  in  Josephus;  preached  at  4 
o'clock,  P.  M.;  had  a  small  and  attentive  congregation:  went 
about  half  a  mile  to  lodge;  visited  two  families  to-day. 

May  4- — Remained  with  friends  at  Scaffold  priairie;  attended 
meeting  with  a  Methodist  travelling  preacher;  exhorted  and 
prayed  after  his  sermon,  read  in  Josephus. 

May  5. — A  clear,  but  very  windy  day;  rode  32  miles  back  the 
same  road  which  I  had  rode  the  second.  Mrs.  Reed  was  now 
with  me.  We  had  some  difficulties  from  high  waters  in  the  wet 
prairies.  We  were  in  some  times  up  to  the  saddle  skirts  for  several 
roods;  but  were  mercifully  preserved  and  enabled  to  reach  the 
house  I  designed  to  reach. 

May  6. — Rode  five  miles  to  Terre  Haute;  expected  to  preach 
there  at  12  o'clock,  preparatory  to  the  Lord's  supper  the  next 
day;  but  no  congregation  assembled;  concluded  not  to  have  the 
sacrament  the  next  day;  preached  at  night  to  a  small  congrega- 
tion in  the  court  house.  In  the  afternoon,  ascended  into  the 
cupola  of  the  court  house,  from  which  is  an  extensive  and  beau- 
tiful view,  embracing  the  whole  of  fort  Harrison  prairie,  with  the 
skirting  forests,  the  farms  and  buildings. 

Sabbath,  May  7.- — A  lovely  day;  preached  at  11  o'clock  in  the 
court  house;  a  large  congregation.  I  was  much  pleased  to  find 
this  town  so  still  on  the  Sabbath. 

Its  order  is  greatly  improved  in  two  years.  But  still  it  is 
without  any  religious  society.  A  Methodist  now  preaches  here 
two  Sabbaths  in  each  month.  The  professors  of  religion,  whom 
I  expected  to  meet  here,  live  at  a  distance  from  the  town. 

May  8. — Rode  six  miles  in  the  morning.  It  rained  a  little; 
then  crossed  the  Wabash  about  5  miles;  visited  and  prayed  with 
a  sick  woman.  She  was  supposed  to  be  dying:  she  was  sensible, 
patient,  and  pious: — numbers  were  there  watching  to  see  her 
expire.  Thence  I  rode  to  New-Hope  meeting  house,  5  miles, 
and  preached  at  4  o'clock,  P.  M.;  had  about  forty  hearers,  who 
were  very  attentive;  returned  across  the  Wabash  4  miles.— The 
whole  ride  to-day,  20  miles.  Twice  crossed  the  Wabash  by  a 
ferry.  It  is  high,  and  overflows  its  banks  in  many  places. 

May  9.- — Retraced  the  way  to  Scaffold  prairie,  about  33  miles, 
Mrs.  Reed  with  me.  There  was  a  great  rain  the  last  night. 


494  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

And  this,  so  soon  after  others,  made  the  roads  very  wet.  Much 
of  our  way  was  under  water.  The  course  was  through  low  clay 
prairies.  We  stopped  but  once,  and  then  only  half  an  hour. 

May  10. — Weak  from  the  fatigue  of  yesterday.  Left  Mrs. 
Reed,  and  rode  about  13  miles:  visited  three  families;  returned  and 
preached  on  Scaffold  prairie  at  night,  to  a  small  congregation  of 
attentive  hearers;  but  there  was  one  traveller,  who,  I  have  been 
told,  is  an  avowed  and  strong  deist. 

May  11. — Rode  12  miles  to-day.  Did  not  preach,  but 
appointed  to  preach  on  Nine  Mile  prairie  to-morrow. 

May  12. — Rode  10  miles  to-day;  preached  at  Mr.  A's,  at  Nine 
Mile  prairie.  The  meeting  was  well  attended.  The  settlement 
is  made  up  of  five  or  six  families. 

May  IS. — Spent  the  day  at  Mr.  D.'s,  and  preached  at  night. 

Sabbath,  May  14- — Preached  at  Mr.  D.'s  on  the  death  of 
Christ.  Had  a  very  attentive  congregation.  I  am  encouraged 
in  my  labours  here.  The  beginning  was  very  small,  but  it  has 
grown.  After  the  meeting,  I  asked  the  family  the  questions  of 
the  shorter  catechism. 

May  15. — Started  for  home.  Had  to  swim  our  horses  over 
Fish  creek,  and  cross  in  a  canoe;  rode  34  miles,  make  one  stop, 
and  reached  home  just  at  dusk,  and  found  our  friends  in  our 
house,  and  the  child  we  had  left  with  them,  well. 

In  this  tour  I  had  been  absent  34  days;  preached  sixteen  times; 
had  two  seasons  of  asking  the  shorter  catechism  to  families; 
baptised  one  child;  gathered  and  constituted  a  church;  adminis- 
tered the  Lord's  supper;  visited  and  prayed  with  one  dying  per- 
son; made  twenty-eight  visits  in  families,  and  travelled  394  miles. 


Churches  in  Indiana. 

The  following  "Sketches  of  the  former  history,  and  present 
religious  state  of  Indiana,"  were  made  by  the  Rev.  Isaac  Reed, 
in  the  winter  of  1826. 

My  first  introduction  into  Indiana,  was  in  July,  1818.  At 
that  time  there  was  a  Presbyterian  church  at  Madison,  and  a 
minister  there;  but  not  its  pastor.  Indeed,  there  was  no  pastor 
in  any  Presbyterian  church  in  the  State.  Down  the  Ohio  river 
from  Madison,  was  Pisgah  church.  This  was  a  little  church  in 
a  country  settlement  formed  by  the  Rev.  James  M'Gready.  At 
Charlestown,  County  seat  of  Clarke  county,  was  a  small  church 


ISAAC  REED.  495 

and  resident  minister.  At  New-Albany,  was  a  little  church  of 
twelve  members,  formed  by  the  Rev.  D.  C.  Banks.  From  this 
down  the  Ohio  river  to  the  State  line  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash, 
there  was  no  church,  and  no  minister.  In  the  direction  towards 
Vincennes,  there  was  a  little  church  at  Blue  river,  and  another  at 
Livonia,  both  formed  by  Mr.  M'Gready. — In  these  two  last  men- 
tioned, and  another  at  Salem,  the  Rev.  Wm.  W.  Martin  preached 
at  that  time.  At  Washington,  Davis  county,  was  a  little  church, 
which  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Dickey  had  supplied  for  a  time,  but  was 
then  about  to  leave  it.  In  Knox  county,  and  near  Vincennes,  was 
a  small  church,  supplied  by  the  Rev.  S.  T.  Scott.  Thirty  miles 
higher  up  the  Wabash  river,  was  a  little  church,  supplied  by  the 
Rev.  J.  Balch,  an  aged  man.  Besides  these,  the  Rev.  Nathan  B. 
Derrow  was  in  the  State,  as  a  missionary  from  the  Connecticut 
Missionary  Society;  and  had  formed  two  little  churches;  one  in 
Jennings,  and  one  in  Jackson  counties.  The  Rev.  Orin  Fowler, 
another  Missionary  from  Connecticut,  came  into  the  State  this 
summer,  and  remained  till  the  next  spring.  He  organized  three 
churches.  He  was  diligent  and  popular,  and  appeared  to  do  much 
good. 

The  writer  stopped  at  New-Albany  in  September,  and  engaged 
to  supply  there  for  a  year,  in  October.  He  had  come  as  a  volun- 
teer, at  his  own  charges,  into  Kentucky  the  preceding  year.  In 
December,  a  little  church  was  formed  at  Corydon,  at  that  time 
the  seat  of  government  of  the  State,  by  the  Rev.  J.  F.  Crow. 
All  these  places,  churches,  and  ministers,  were  in  the  bounds  of 
the  Louisville  Presbytery,  and  of  the  Kentucky  Synod.  In 
August,  1819,  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Dickey  was  installed  pastor  over 
the  united  congregations  of  New-Lexington  and  Pisgah.  This 
was  the  first  installation  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  ever  held  in 
the  State.  The  same  summer,  the  Rev.  Thomas  O.  Searle  came 
to  Madison,  and  the  Rev.  N.  B.  Derrow  left  the  State.  About 
this  time,  the  Rev.  J.  Balch  died.  The  writer  also  having  ful- 
filled his  year  at  New-Albany,  left  the  State  in  December,  and 
went  into  Kentucky.  A  young  man,  missionary  from  the  Board 
of  Missions  of  the  General  Assembly,  was  in  the  State  for  six 
months;  the  last  of  the  former,  and  the  first  part  of  this  year: 
and  two  others  for  a  like  term  the  following  winter  and  spring. 
In  1820,  Mr.  Searle  became  pastor  at  Madison,  and  Mr.  Martin 
was  installed  pastor  at  Livonia.  A  new  church,  named  Hanover, 
was  formed  and  united  with  the  Madison  church.  In  the  Autumn 
of  1821,  Mr.  Searle  died  at  Madison.  He  was  pious,  active,  and 


496  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

eminently  useful.  In  the  autumn  of  1822,  the  writer  returned 
to  the  State,  a  missionary  from  the  Connecticut  Society,  with  his 
family,  and  settled  in  Owen  county,  upon  White  river.  The  same 
time  the  Rev.  D.  C.  Proctor,  missionary  from  the  Connecticut 
Society,  engaged  for  a  year  at  Indianapolis,  the  new  seat  of 
government  of  the  state.  The  following  winter,  the  Rev.  C.  C. 
Beatty  performed  a  mission  tour  of  four  months,  along  the 
Wabash  river;  and  formed  three  churches.  He  was  sent  by  the 
General  Assembly.  In  the  spring  of  1823,  the  Rev.  J.  F.  Crow 
removed  from  Kentucky,  to  the  Hanover  church. 

He  and  the  writer  were  both  installed  in  their  respective  con- 
gregations this  year.  The  Rev.  Ezra  H.  Day  came  to  New- 
Albany  in  the  summer  of  1822.  He  preached  there  a  year,  and 
died  in  September,  1823.  The  following  winter,  Joseph  Trimble, 
missionary  from  the  General  Assembly,  came  into  the  State.  He 
fulfilled  a  mission  of  six  months,  and  engaged  to  become  settled 
at  Madison.  The  Presbytery  was  called  to  ordain  and  install 
him;  but  found  him,  on  the  day  of  meeting,  on  his  death-bed. 
He  died  the  same  day  which  was  set  for  his  ordination.  He  was 
very  diligent,  and  highly  useful.  The  Salem  Presbytery,  the  first 
Presbytery  in  the  State,  was  formed  by  the  Synod  of  Kentucky, 
in  October,  1823,  and  held  its  first  meeting  in  April,  1824. 

The  first  candidate  for  the  ministry  licensed  in  the  State,  was 
Mr.  T.  H.  Brown,  at  Charlestown,  October,  1824.  The  first 
ordination,  was  that  of  the  Rev.  George  Bush,  at  Indianapolis, 
March  5,  1825.  Since  that,  five  other  ministers  have  been 
ordained,  and  three  of  them  installed.  The  Rev.  S.  T.  Scott 
has  also  been  installed  pastor  at  Vincennes.  The  churches  have 
been  increased  from  twelve,  the  number  in  1818,  to  forty-two, 
the  present  number.  There  was  a  Missionary  Society  formed  in 
August,  1822;  and  in  1824,  and  part  of  — 25,  it  employed,  for  a 
short  time,  six  missionaries.  In  October,  1825,  the  Synod  of 
Kentucky  divided  the  Salem  Presbytery,  and  formed  two  new 
ones;- viz.  the  Wabash  Presbytery,  and  the  Madison  Presbytery. 
In  August,  1825,  Mr.  John  Young,  missionary  for  the  General 
Assembly  died,  at  Vincennes,  having  just  finished  a  mission  of 
six  months:  he  was  very  active,  and  is  greatly  lamented. — Such 
have  been  the  trials,  such  the  increase,  and  such  the  enlarge- 
ments of  the  church  in  Indiana.  And  may  her  Master  say  to 
her,  INCREASE,  INCREASE,  and  possess  the  land. 


ISAAC  REED.  497 

INDIANA  THE  COUNTRY  FOR  CHRISTIAN  EFFORT  AND  THE  FIELD 

OF    HOPE. 

No.  I. 

The  State  of  Indiana  lies  between  the  States  Ohio  on  the  east, 
and  Illinois  on  the  west;  the  Ohio  river  on  the  south,  and  Lake 
Michigan  and  Michigan  territory  on  the  north.  It  is  in  one  of 
the  happiest  latitudes  in  the  Union.  Stretching  from  37  deg. 
50  min.  to  41  deg.  48  min.  north  latitude;  and  from  7  deg.  40  min. 
to  11  deg.  west  longitude  from  Washington.  It  is  without  a 
mountain,  and  has  scarcely  a  swamp  over  which  a  man  cannot 
ride  on  horseback.  It  has  much  low  lands,  which  at  some  sea- 
sons are  wet.  Its  river  banks  are  low  and  they  overflow  widely. 
It  has  much  high,  rolling  and  dry  lands.  The  writer's  residence 
has  been  for  j-ears  in  the  central  part,  in  Owen  county,  and  his 
travels  have  been  over  almost  every  part  which  is  either  settled 
or  begun  to  settle.  In  these  rolling  lands  springs  of  the  very 
best  water  are  plenty;  and  many  of  them  are  very  large.  In  its 
flat  lands  good  water  is  easily  obtained  by  digging.  The  lands 
near  the  Ohio  river  are  in  many  parts  broken;  but  as  you  leave 
the  Ohio  and  advance  into  the  interior,  the  good  tracts  become 
larger  and  the  soil  richer;  and  the  same,  as  you  ascend  up  the 
Wabash  and  White  rivers.  These  are  elegant  streams.  The 
Wabash  traces  the  western  part,  and  the  two  White  rivers  the 
central  parts  of  the  State.  They  furnish  a  water  conveyance  for 
the  produce  of  the  country  to  the  Ohio  river,  and  thence  to  New- 
Orleans.  Steam-boats  ascend  the  Wabash  in  the  spring.  In 
the  spring  of  1826,  some  ascended  as  high  as  the  mouth  of  Tippe- 
canoe  river.  The  Indians  are  almost  wholly  gone  from  the  state, 
and  the  white  settlements  are  very  rapidly  extending  up  the  rivers 
towards  their  source.  The  State  has  54  organized  counties,  con- 
taining an  average  of  20  or  24  miles  square.  Each  of  these 
counties  has  a  seat  of  justice  and  county  business,  called  the 
Town,  and  the  other  settlements  are  called  the  country.  In  the 
•  Town  are  the  stores,  the  taverns,  the  doctors,  the  lawyers,  and 
numbers  of  the  mechanics  of  the  county.  The  population  is  a 
mixture  from  almost  every  quarter;  but  mainly  from  south  of  the 
Ohio  river.  Interest  has  drawn  most;  to  be  in  new  countries 
has  induced  others,  and  to  get  away  from  negro  slavery,  has 
influenced  not  a  few  in  their  removes  from  the  slave-holding  states. 
There  are  many  from  Ohio,  and  some  from  the  northern  states, 
but  their  numbers  are  few. 

T — 32 


498  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

Their  religions  are  avowedly  Christian,  but  of  all  the  different 
sects  in  the  Union.  And  a  very  large  part  are  professors  of 
religion  in  some  society.  There  are  many  meetings,  and  there 
is  much  of  family  prayer.  Indeed,  I  believe  there  is  much  of 
religion — much  of  experimental  Christianity  in  this  new  state. 
There  are  many  assumed  preachers,  but  there  are  but  few  truly 
competent  gospel  preachers;  at  least  they  are  few  in  proportion 
to  the  population,  and  the  extent  of  settled  country. 

My  next  Number  shall  be  upon  its  government,  and  its  increase 
of  population,  since  my  going  into  it,  in  the  summer  of  1818,  and 
its  character  for  health.  Respectfully  yours, 

ISAAC  REED. 

No.  II. 
The  Government. 

This,  like  the  other  States  of  the  Federal  Union  is  Republican. 
It  became  a  State  government  in  1816.  Almost  all  manner  of 
offices  are  made  immediately  by  the  election  of  the  people.  Every 
freeman,  except  persons  of  colour,  is  entitled  to  vote  for  the 
Governor  and  representation  in  both  branches  of  the  Legislature. 
Its  Senators  are  chosen  for  four  years.  It  representatives  are 
chosen  for  one  year.  And  its  Governor  is  chosen  for  three  years. 
Its  Legislature,  in  both  branches,  meets  annually.  Its  Senators 
in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States — its  President  Judges  of 
judicial  districts:  its  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  and  some  of 
its  State  officers,  such  as  the  Secretary  of  State,  Treasurer,  and 
Auditor,  are  elected  by  the  Legislature.  The  Judges  of  the  Court 
of  Appeals,  or  the  supreme  court  of  the  State,  are  three.  And 
this  court  is  held  twice  each  year  in  the  seat  of  government.  The 
judicial  districts  are  five,  and  there  is  a  president  judge  to  each 
of  these  districts.  Associated  with  him,  in  holding  court  in  each 
county,  are  two,  chosen  by  the  freemen  of  the  county,  and  called 
associate  judges  of  the  circuit  court.  This  court  has  both  criminal 
and  civil  jurisdiction.  And  it  answers  to  Oyer  and  Terminer,  and 
common  pleas. 

The  county  court  consists  of  all  the  magistrates  in  the  county, 
or  rather  of  all  those  who  attend  in  the  county  seat,  at  the  time 
set,  for  holding  the  court.  These  determine  respecting  county 
regulations;  such  as  building  court  houses  and  jails,  making  town- 
ships, granting  roads,  assessing  and  collecting  taxes,  granting 
tavern  licenses,  &c.  Each  county  has  its  clerk  of  the  circuit 


ISAAC  REED.  499 

court,  and  recorder,  chosen  by  the  electors  in  the  county.  These 
are  two  distinct  offices,  but  they  are  frequently  held  by  the  same 
individual. 

From  the  office  of  the  County  Clerk,  must  be  issued  the  cer- 
tificates for  solemnizing  marriage,  between  the  persons  therein 
named.  And  to  the  same  office  must  a  return  certificate  be 
made,  by  the  person  who  solemnizes  a  marriage.  Ordained  and 
licensed  preachers  of  the  gospel,  of  all  denominations,  judges  of 
the  courts,  and  county  magistrates,  are  legally  authorized  to 
solemnize  marriage.  In  each  of  the  judicial  districts,  the  presi- 
dent judge  goes  round  his  circuit,  and  holds  a  court  in  each  county, 
twice  a  year.  His  salary  is  $700  a-year,  the  Governor's  salary  is 
$1000  a-year,  and  the  Secretary  of  State's  salary  $400  a-year. 
The  State  has  three  congressional  districts,  each  of  which  elects 
one  representative  to  congress.  Such  is  a  brief  outline  of  the 
government  of  Indiana.  Its  present  and  permanent  seat  of 
government  is  Indianapolis;— a  fast  rising  and  flourishing  town, 
delightfully  situated  on  the  east  side  of  White  river,  just  below 
the  junction  of  Fall  creek.  To  this  place  the  government  was 
removed  from  Corydon  in  the  winter  of  1826. 

Its  Increase  of  Population. 

My  first  entrance  into  Indiana  was  from  the  State  of  Ken- 
tucky, in  the  character  of  a  VOLUNTEER  PREACHER  of  the  GOSPEL, 
with  no  patronage  but  from  on  high.  I  then  travelled,  and  had 
travelled  the  whole  preceding  year  at  my  own  charges.  This 
entrance  was  in  the  month  of  July.  And  by  turning  to  my  jour- 
nal for  the  time,  I  find  that  I  crossed  the  Ohio  river  at  Madison, 
and  first  put  my  feet  upon  the  north  shore  the  23d  of  July,  1818. 
At  that  time,  as  near  as  I  could  learn,  the  population  of  the  State 
was  about  100,000.  When  the  United  States  census  was  taken 
in  1820,  it  was  between  140,000  and  150,000.  Since  that  time, 
it  has  increased  very  rapidly.  At  present  it  equals,  and  prob- 
ably exceeds  200,000.  Eight  years  has  then  given  an  increase  of 
near  100,000  population,  and  this  in  a  State  which  is  but  ten 
years  old. 

Its  Health. 

Like  all  large  tracts  of  country,  its  character  for  health  differs 
in  different  parts.  It  is  a  State,  almost  precisely  similar  to  the 
State  of  Ohio.  There  are  parts  which  are  sickly:  there  are  parts 
which  are  healthy:  and  there  are  parts  which  have  a  mixed 


500  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

character.  It  is  equally  favourable  in  health,  with  the  State  of 
Ohio;  or  with  the  State  of  New- York,  westward  from  the  village 
of  Utica.  The  hilly  and  rolling  lands,  and  parts  of  the  State,  are 
healthy.  The  flat  lands,  and  river  bottoms,  are  sickly.  My 
residence  with  my  family  of  almost  four  years,  was  without  once 
employing  a  physician;  and  I  would  have  no  more  fears  of  sick- 
ness in  that  settlement,  than  in  Connecticut.  But  pretty  exten- 
sively, the  inhabitants  are  prone  to  bilious  diseases,  and  strangers 
have  to  require  a  seasoning.  This,  Sir,  is  its  character  for  health. 
And  I  have  made  these  observations  from  an  acquaintance  of 
eight  years;  and  five  years  entire  residence  in  the  State. 

ISAAC  REED. 
Moriah,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  18th,  1827. 

No.  III. 

Principal  Towns. 

Madison  is  a  brick  built  commercial  town.  It  lies  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  Ohio  river,  80  miles  below  Cincinnati.  It  has 
about  1200  population.  It  is  a  point  of  deposite  and  trade,  for 
an  extensive  interior  of  fertile  country.  Charlestown  is  near  30 
miles  lower  down  the  Ohio  river,  and  is  four  miles  back  from  it. 
It  is  brick  built,  and  nearly  the  size  of  Madison.  Both  places 
are  county  seats.  They  have  each  a  Presbyterian  church  and 
minister. — Jeffersonville  is  14  miles  south-west  from  Charles- 
town:  it  lies  on  the  Ohio  river,  nearly  opposite  Louisville.  Here 
is  the  location  of  the  State  Prison.  This  is  a  trading  village,  but 
not  large.  New-Albany,  4  miles  below  Jeffersonville,  is  the  first 
village  below  the  falls  of  the  Ohio.  The  population  is  about  800. 
On  the  Ohio,  below  New-Albany,  the  only  villages  of  note,  are 
Leaven  worth  and  Evansville;  the  latter  is  near  the  lower  corner 
of  the  State.  They  are  not  large,  but  increasing. — On  the 
Wabash  river,  are  Vincennes,  an  old  military  Post,  called  "Post 
Vincent."  It  was  originally  settled  by  the  French,  and  numbers 
of  French  are  still  there.  It  is  situated  upon  a  delightful,  small, 
dry  prairie.  It  is  improving.  The  population  is  about  1000. — 
Sixty  miles  higher,  up  the  Wabash,  is  Terre  Haute,  a  handsome 
little  village  of  white  buildings.  It  has  a  great  deal  of  mercantile 
business,  and  about  300  population.  In  the  interior  of  the  State 
is  Salem,  county  seat  of  Washington  county,  30  miles  from  the 
Ohio  river. — Bloomington,  in  Monroe  county,  about  90  miles 
from  the  Ohio  river.  This  is  a  thriving  town  of  about  400  or 


ISAAC  REED.  501 

500  population,  and  the  location  of  the  State  Seminary. — Indi- 
anapolis is  about  50  miles  northward  of  Bloomington.  This  is 
the  permanent  seat  of  the  State  Government,  and  has  800  popu- 
lation. The  first  sale  of  its  lots  was  in  the  autumn  of  1821;  and 
it  was  then  mainly  covered  with  thick  woods.  About  it  is  a  wide 
extent  of  first  rate  lands,  and  though  so  young  in  settlement,  the 
population  is  becoming  dense.  The  town  has  three  religious 
societies;  a  well  finished  Presbyterian  meeting-house,  and  settled 
minister.  In  May,  1826,  there  was  a  Sabbath  school  of  85  boys 
and  87  girls.  The  attention  to  good  order  and  to  religion  is 
favourable. — In  the  east  part  of  the  State  is  Richmond,  a  small 
but  neat  town,  inhabited  principally  by  Friend  Quakers.  There 
is  held  their  yearly  meeting. — In  the  south-east  part  is  Brook- 
ville,  seat  of  justice  of  Franklin  county,  and  Lawrenceburg  of 
Dearborn  county,  and  Vevay  of  Switzerland  county.  And  there 
are  in  the  State  a  number  more,  wrhich  are  nearly  equal  to  some 
of  these. 

Literature. 

The  State  is  not  districted:  and  the  common  schools  are  gen- 
erally of  a  low  character,  when  compared  with  the  schools  of  the 
Northern  States.  Here  and  there  is  found  a  district,  where  the 
school  is  well  supported,  and  well  taught.  The  schools  are  nearly 
all  taught  by  men.  It  is  a  rare  thing  to  see  a  woman  teaching 
school.  There  are  a  good  many  men  of  public  education  in  the 
State,  graduates  from  different  colleges.  There  are  many  people 
of  common  school  education;  but  there  are  also  many  men,  and 
many  women,  who  cannot  read  at  all.  In  Indianapolis  there  is  a 
common  school,  on  a  fine  plan,  and  well  supported.  There  are 
a  few  Academies  in  different  parts,  but  they  are  not  distinguished. 
There  is  one  College  in  its  incipient  state,  located  at  Bloomington. 
It  is  the  State  Seminary.  It  is  taught  by  a  Presbyterian  minister, 
of  superior  attainments,  and  distinguished  character.  It  is 
richly  endowed  in  lands,  which,  as  yet,  are  not  much  productive. 

Respectfully,  &c. 
Moriah,  N.  Y.  March  19,  1827.  ISAAC  REED. 

No.  IV. 

My  last  number  introduced  the  state  of  learning  in  Indiana. 
I  believe  there  are  more  men  of  public  education  in  the  profes- 
sions of  law  and  medicine,  than  would  be  expected  abroad,  in  the 
State  so  young.  The  ministers  also  of  the  Presbyterian  church 


502  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

are  such  men,  and  but  few  of  the  other  denominations  are  such. 
Among  the  common  people,  many  are  found  possessing  much 
intelligence,  and  who,  in  older  States,  have  been  men  of  active 
business.  The  state  of  learning  is  also  on  the  advance.  But 
there  are  many  of  the  people  without  even  a  common  school 
education.  When  I  began  first  to  distribute  Religious  Tracts,  in 
different  parts,  I  found  I  often  gave,  or  was  about  to  give  tracts, 
to  persons  who  could  not  read.  Afterwards,  when  I  was  about 
to  give  tracts  to  strangers,  I  first  asked  them  whether  they  could 
read,  before  I  offered  them  the  tracts. 

Its  Benevolent  Institutions. 

The  first  of  these  is  the  Indiana  Missionary  Society,  formed 
in  August,  1822,  and  designed  to  aid  in  supplying  the  destitute 
with  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  and  Christian  sacraments  in  the 
bounds  of  the  State.  Its  funds  are  small,  but  it  has  employed 
several  missionaries  for  a  few  months  at  a  time.  Of  those  mis- 
sionaries the  writer  is  one.  While  in  the  State,  he  perseveringly 
and  successfully  endeavoured  to  advance  the  Institution.  He 
looks  back  to  it  now  with  satisfaction  and  intense  interest.— 
The  next  is  the  Sabbath  School  Society.  The  writer  believes  the 
first  Sabbath  School  in  the  State,  was  commenced  by  his  efforts 
at  New  Albany,  in  1819.  From  that  time  they  increased  and 
commenced  in  different  places.  They  have  become  numerous, 
not  merely  in  the  towns  and  villages,  but  in  country  neighbour- 
hoods and  in  new  settlements.  The  writer  has  often  addressed 
them  in  missionary  tours,  and  sometimes  in  log  school  houses — 
sometimes  in  little  cabins,  and  once  in  the  woods  without  a  house. 
—In  October,  1825,  a  Constitution  was  formed  and  Society  con- 
stituted, to  be  called  the  State  Union  Society.  It  was  to  have  its 
first  anniversary  at  Indianapolis  in  August,  1826.  The  writer 
was  one  of  the  committee  which  formed  the  constitution. — There 
are  a  number  of  County  Bible  Societies:  of  these  the  Madison 
Bible  Society  has,  I  believe,  been  the  most  efficient.  The  writer 
made  an  address  at  its  formation  at  Madison,  in  the  summer  of 
1818.— A  Presbyterian  Education  Society  was  commenced  in  the 
Salem  Presbytery  in  its  session  at  Charlestown  in  October  1824, 
and  made  its  first  report  in  October,  1825;  and  then  adjourned  to 
meet  at  Indianapolis  in  August,  1826,  to  form  a  State  Society. 
In  the  Missionary  Society,  the  Sabbath  School  Society,  and  the 
Education  Society,  it  is  but  just  to  say  of  the  Presbyterian  min- 
isters, they  have  led  the  way;  they  have  been  the  pioneers  and 


ISAAC  REED.  503 

the  active  agents.  Few  as  they  are,  besides  doing  their  utmost 
to  preach  and  to  minister  in  their  own  congregations,  the  partial 
supply  of  four  times  as  many  destitute  congregations  has  come 
upon  him,  and  the  whole  weight  of  the  formation  and  leading 
support  of  these  Benevolent  Institutions.  These  ministers  are 
a  company  of  men  who  fear  not  difficulties — who  shrink  not  from 
service- — and  who  love  as  brethren.  The  writer  loves  them  as  his 
fellow-labourers  in  the  field  of  Christian  enterprise,  and  the  vine- 
yard of  the  Lord.  His  heart  is  with  them — his  prayers  are  for 
them;  may  they  still  pursue  and  overcome  in  the  strength  of  the 
Lamb. 

Its  Religion. 

The  Methodists  and  the  Baptists  are  both  numerous.  There 
is  one  or  two  societies  of.  the  Associate  Presbytery  or  Seceders; 
two  or  three  societies  of  the  Reformed  Presbytery  or  Covenanters; 
one  Roman  Catholic;  one  of  the  Shakers;  a  good  many  societies 
of  Quakers;  many  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterians;  many  of  the 
New  Lights,  and  fifty  of  the  Presbyterian  churches  in  connexion 
with  the  General  Assembly.  Of  these  churches,  the  writer  has 
constituted  eight,  and  one  in  Illinois,  nine  in  all.  And  he  has 
laboured  in,  and  tried  to  cherish  and  strengthen  many  of  the 
others.  Sometimes  he  has  administered  the  Lord's  Supper  14  or 
16  times  in  a  year,  and  not  more  than  4  of  these  in  his  own  society. 
Through  summer  heat  and  rains- — through  winter  cold,  winds  and 
snows,  early  and  late,  he  has  sought  after  the  wandering  sheep  of 
his  Saviour's  flock.  He  has  found  them  in  the  wilderness,  gathered 
them  into  the  fold,  and  fed  them  for  Christ.  For  the  last  four 
years  his  travels  in  this  service  exceed  2000  miles  a  year.  In  one 
year  he  baptized  8  adults  and  61  children,  and  received  about  50 
persons  into  church-membership  by  examination.  And  why  has 
he  left  this  field?  Just  because  the  Lord  has  called  him  away, 
and  bid  him  occupy  in  another.  But  he  loves  that  field  still. 
And  he  loves  to  direct  others  in  the  way  to  it.  It  is  a  field,  long 
and  broad  and  goodly.  And  many  may  find  a  place  to  labour 
there.  ISAAC  REED. 

Moriah,  N.  Y.  March  21,  1827. 

No.  V.       ' 

I  thought  I  had  done  with  these  numbers,  but  my  last  was 
written  in  a  pressure  of  other  things;  and  I  found  I  had  omitted 
to  say  any  thing  of  the  hospitality  which  abounds,  and  may  be 


504  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

considered  as  characteristical  in  Indiana.  I  have  seen  it  in  almost 
all  parts  of  the  State,  in  near  a  hundred  different  settlements; 
and  I  therefore  believe  it  is  general.  Travelling  expenses  at  the 
houses  of  entertainment,  are  low.  But  there  is  much  of  true 
hospitality;  such  hospitality  as  I  have  rarely  seen  in  the  Northern 
States.  There  is  much  equality  among  the  people,  especially  in 
country  neighbourhoods.  There  is  less  absolute  and  suffering 
poverty,  than  I  have  ever  seen  in  so  large  a  country;  and  a  man 
is  an  idle  and  lazy  fellow,  if  he  does  not  soon  get  a  farm  of  his 
own.  There  are  very  few  who  are  rich;  and  it  is  not  easy  to  get 
rich  there.  It  is  very  easy  to  lay  out  money,  but  very  difficult 
to  get  it  back  again.  Money  is  scarce,  and  prices  are  low.  Provi- 
sions for  bread  and  meat  are  abundant;  and  the  people  seem  to 
love  the  opportunity  to  have  a  neighbour  or  a  stranger  to  be  with 
them  at  their  meals;  and  also  to  share  with  them  the  safety  and 
the  comforts  of  their  house  for  the  night.  This  hospitality  may 
be  found  almost  any  time,  but  more  especially  at  the  times  of 
large  meetings — such  as  "a  sacrament,"  with  the  Presbyterians — 
Quarterly  and  Camp-meetings  with  the  Methodists— Associa- 
tions with  the  Baptists,  and  Camp-meetings  with  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterians.  No  one  withholds  going  to  any  of  these 
meetings,  for  fear  of  expense  for  himself  or  his  horse.  If  he  be 
not  known  in  the  neighbourhood,  he  is  invited  to  some  house  as 
a  stranger,  and  treated  as  a  friend.  Frequently  five  or  six  goto 
the  same  house,  and  they  all  seem  as  welcome  as  the  members  of 
the  family. 

This  leads  me  to  disclose  some  customs  about  holding  meet- 
ings, existing  there,  which  may  seem  a  peculiarity  in  the  northern 
states.  As  the  Presbyterians  there  are  chiefly  from  the  southern 
states,  they  have  brought  with  them  the  customs  of  the  Presby- 
terians of  Virginia  and  Carolina;  and  these  have  brought  them 
from  the  mother  church  in  Scotland.  One  of  these  customs  is,  to 
have  a  sacramental  meeting  consist  of  several  successive  days, 
including  a  Sabbath.  At  this  meeting  it  is  common  to  have  a 
plurality  of  ministers.  It  is  in  this  way  that  the  ministers  keep 
up  a  system  of  exchange.  You  assist  me,  and  I  assist  you  in 
return.  The  meeting  begins  either  Friday  or  Saturday,  and 
closes  Monday; — Sabbath  is  the  communion.  Preaching  each 
day  is  at  the  same  place,  which  is  either  a  meeting-house,  or  a 
stand  in  some  piece  of  woods;  and  often  where  there  is  a  meeting- 
house, the  house  is  so  small,  and  the  assembly  so  large,  that  they 
have  to  go  to  the  woods.  The  congregation  consists  of  the  people 


ISAAC  REED.  505 

of  the  congregation,  where  the  meeting  is  held,  and  numbers,  from 
others  round  about.  One  or  two  sermons  is  preached  each  day, 
and  frequently  some  at  night  in  neighbourhoods.  On  the  Sabbath 
a  sermon  is  preached  before  communion,  called  "the  action  ser- 
mon." Then  the  other  minister  rises  and  introduces  the  com- 
munion service  according  to  the  Directory.  He  then  gives  out 
the  institution  hymn;  and  as  they  are  singing  that,  the  ministers 
go  to  the  table,  and  as  many  communicants  as  can  sit  on  each 
side  of  it.  The  table  is  a  long  one.  The  minister  who  preached 
the  sermon,  sits  at  the  table;  and  the  other  gives  thanks  and 
breaks  and  gives  out  the  bread,  and  the  cup.  The  ruling  elders 
serve  at  the  table.  When  all  have  received,  another  hymn  is 
sung;  and  while  singing,  these  withdraw,  and  the  table  fills  again. 
Then  the  other  minister  serves,  and  the  first  communes.  In  like 
manner,  if  there  are  more  ministers,  and  if  there  are  more  tables, 
till  all  are  served.  I  have  sometimes  seen  five  settings:  I  have 
myself  served  at  three,  when  no  other  minister  was  with  me. 
Monday  they  assemble  early,  and  dismiss  about  midday.  This 
practice  leads  the  Christians  to  know  and  love  one  another,  all 
round  a  large  tract  of  country,  and  cherishes  this  spirit  and  prac- 
tice of  hospitality.  When  in  missionary  service,  I  have  held 
sacramental  meetings;  I  have  sometimes  seen  members  from  six 
different  Presbyterian  churches,  and  all  destitute.  Some  of  these 
came  25,  and  others  30  miles,  purposely  to  attend  the  meeting. 
In  some  cases,  I  have  seen  women  who  walked  10  miles,  to  be  at 
such  a  meeting;  one  of  these  was  a  young  woman,  in  1823,  who 
was  awakened  at  the  meeting;  and  the  next  year,  at  another 
similar  meeting,  I  received  her  to  communion.  With  the  Metho- 
dists, their  sacraments  are  held  at  their  quarterly  meetings,  and 
their  camp-meetings.  The  Cumberland  Presbyterians,  who  are 
much  like  the  Methodists  in  doctrines  and  manners,  but  who 
hold  to  the  Presbyterian  form  of  government,  have  their  sacra- 
ments at  camp-meetings.  This  is  a  young,  but  fast  increasing 
sect.  They  have  had  being  as  denomination,  only  about  sixteen 
years,  and  they  have  now  11  Presbyteries,  and  are  very  widely 
spread.  They  have  lately  founded  a  college  in  the  lower  parts 
of  Kentucky.  Their  preachers  travel  upon  circuits  by  two  and 
two,  like  the  Methodists.  All  these  large  meetings  tend  to  extend 
the  acquaintance  of  the  Christians  of  the  country,  and  to  foster 
and  continue  the  hospitality  of  the  people. 

ISAAC  REED. 
Moriah,  N.  Y.  March  27,  1827. 


From  Travels  in  North  America  in  the  years  1827  and  1828, 
by  Captain  Basil  Hall  [1829],  Vol.  III.,  pp.  386- 
388. 

HALL,  BASIL. 

Captain  Hall,  a  British  naval  officer  and  writer,  was  recognized  as  one 
of  the  most  widely  travelled  Englishmen  of  his  day.  He  had  not  only  visited 
the  greater  part  of  the  British  possessions,  but  in  1815,  accompanied  Lord 
Amherst  on  an  expedition  to  China.  In  1827  he  made  a  tour  of  Canada  and 
the  United  States,  his  object  being  "to  see  with  my  own  eyes  how  far  the 
sentiments  prevalent  in  England  with  respect  to  that  country  (America) 
are  correct  or  otherwise."  The  notes  of  his  travels  were  published  in  1829, 
and  occasioned  adverse  criticism  in  the  United  States  because  of  their  out- 
spoken and  somewhat  supercilious  comments. 

On  the  27th  of  May,  we  entered  the  State  of  Indiana,  where 
we  found  a  very  different  sort  of  travelling  from  that  we  had  met 
with  in  the  delightful  Prairies.  The  country  is  hilly  nearly  all 
the  way,  the  roads  execrable,  and  the  carriages  made  as  rigid  as 
if  they  had  been  cast  in  one  piece  of  metal.  This  is  quite  neces- 
sary, I  admit,  considering  the  duty  they  have  to.  go  through. 
One  other  refinement  in  these  vehicles  I  must  mention.  In  every 
other  part  of  the  Union  we  found  at  least  one  door,  though  very 
rarely  two,  in  any  stage-coach.  But  upon  this  occasion,  where  so 
large  an  opening  was  a  weakness  that  could  not  be  afforded,  the 
passengers  had  nothing  left  for  it — females  as  well  as  males — but 
literally  to  mount  the  coachman's  seat  by  aid  of  the  wheel,  and 
then  scramble  in  at  the  front  as  well  as  they  might.  The  only 
one  of  our  party  who  particularly  relished  this  primitive  method 
of  stowage  was  the  child,  who  was  enchanted  with  the  variety  of 
traverses  which  she  was  exposed  to  before  reaching  the  seats 
within. 

During  this  rugged  journey,  we  were  never  exposed  to  those 
privations  as  to  food  that  we  had  met  with  sometimes  in  the  South, 
for  provisions  of  all  kinds  were  in  abundance.  I  cannot  say, 
however,  that  my  observations  go  to  confirm  the  accounts  I  have 
read  of  the  intelligence,  and  highmindedness,  as  it  is  affectedly 
called,  of  the  thinly  scattered  inhabitants  of  those  new  countries. 
I  did  not  expect,  indeed,  to  find  any  great  polish  of  manners  in 
the  backwoods,  but  I  must  say,  that  although  we  met  with  no 
inhospitality,  we  encountered  so  many  instances  of  coldness  and 
gruffness,  that  I  have  no  wish  again  to  exchange  the  obligations 

(506) 


BASIL  HALL.  507 

and  entanglements  of  civilisation  for  the  selfish  freedom  of  the 
forest. 

It  is  not  that  the  inhabitants  of  those  countries  are  ill-natured 
— quite  the  reverse — they  seem  always  most  willing  to  oblige 
when  prompted  so  to  do.  But  what  I  complain  of  is  the  want 
of  habitual  politeness- — the  spontaneous  desire  to  be  civil  and 
useful.  And  I  strongly  suspect,  that  such  is  the  inevitable  con- 
sequence of  people  living  far  apart,  and  trusting  exclusively  to 
their  own  exertions  for  their  support.  The  same  class  of  things 
which  limit  the  range  of  their  good  offices,  limit  also  their  means 
of  acquiring  knowledge,  tend  to  rivet  prejudices,  and  to  augment 
ideas  of  self-importance.  To  talk,  therefore,  of  people  so  circum- 
stanced, being  possessed  of  any  remarkable  degree  of  intelligence, 
is  to  declare  the  existence  of  a  moral  or  rather  a  political  miracle, 
of  which  civil  society  presents  no  example. 

On  the  29th  of  May,  having  passed  through  the  State  of 
Indiana,  we  recrossed  the  Ohio  to  Louisville  in  Kentucky.  Next 
day  we  embarked  in  a  steam-boat  for  Cincinnati  in  the  State  of 
Ohio,  which  we  reached  on  the  31st,  having  occupied  twenty- 
three  hours  in  a  passage  of  150  miles,  against  the  current. 


From  A  years'  residence  in  the    United  States  of  America, 
by  William  Cobbett  [1828],  Part  3,  pp.  276-292. 

COBBETT,    WlLL) AM. 

Mr.  Cobbett  was  by  training  a  soldier  and  had  spent  several  years  in 
the  English  garrisons.  But  his  "heart  passion  was  to  possess  a  farm  and 
cultivate  gardens."  And  in  order  to  see  just  what  could  be  accomplished  in 
this  line,  he  migrated  to  America  in  1817  and  settled  on  Long  Island.  There 
he  spent  one  year,  and  undertook  on  a  very  extensive  scale  the  art  of  garden- 
ing. He  apparently  achieved  success,  and  found  time  to  take  several  trips 
inland.  His  observations  are  interesting  because  they  contain  accounts  of 
what  the  farmers  and  gardeners  were  actually  doing,  and  not  what  they  hoped 
to  do.  Mr.  Cobbett  was  greatly  interested  in  the  possibilities  he  found  here, 
but  felt  it  necessary  to  return  to  his  native  country  and  re-enter  the  military 
service. 

June  16th. — Left  Cincinnati  for  Louisville  with  seven  other 
persons,  in  a  skiff  about  20  feet  long  and  5  feet  wide. 

June  17th. — Stopped  at  VEVAY,  a  very  neat  and  beautiful 
place,  about  70  miles  above  the  falls  of  the  Ohio.  Our  visit  here 
was  principally  to  see  the  mode  used,  as  well  as  what  progress 
was  made,  in  the  cultivation  of  the  vine,  and  I  had  a  double  curi- 
osity, never  having  as  yet  seen  a  vineyard.  These  vineyards  are 
cultivated  entirely  by  a  small  settlement  of  Swiss,  of  about  a 
dozen  families,  who  have  been  here  about  ten  years.  They  first 
settled  on  the  Kentucky  river,  but  did  not  succeed  there.  They 
plant  the  vines  in  rows,  attached  to  stakes  like  espaliers,  and 
they  plough  between  with  a  one-horse  plough.  The  grapes, 
which  are  of  the  sorts  of  Claret  and  Madeira,  look  very  fine  and 
luxuriant  and  will  be  ripe  in  about  the  middle  of  September. 
The  soil  and  climate  both  appear  to  be  quite  congenial  to  the 
growth  of  the  vine:  the  former  rich  and  the  latter  warm.  The 
north  west  wind,  when  it  blows,  is  very  cold,  but  the  south, 
south  east,  and  south  west  winds,  which  are  always  warm,  are 
prevalent.  The  heat,  in  the  middle  of  the  summer,  I  understand, 
is  very  great,  being  generally  above  85  degrees,  and  sometimes 
above  100  degrees.  Each  of  these  families  has  a  farm  as  well  as 
a  vineyard,  so  that  they  supply  themselves  with  almost  every 
necessary  and  have  their  wine  all  clear  profit.  Their  produce 
will  this  year  be  probably  not  less  than  5000  gallons;  we  bought 
2  gallons  of  it  at  a  dollar  each,  as  good  as  I  would  wish  to  drink. 

(508) 


WILLIAM  COBBETT.  509 

Thus  it  is  that  the  tyrants  of  Europe  create  vineyards  in  this  new 
country! 

June  18th. — Arrived  at  Louisville,  Kentucky.  The  town  is 
situated  at  the  commencement  of  the  falls,  or  rapids  of  the  Ohio. 
The  river,  at  this  place,  is  little  less  than  a  mile  wide,  and  the 
falls  continue  from  a  ledge  of  rocks  which  runs  across  the  river 
in  a  sloping  direction  at  this  part,  to  Shippingport,  about  2  miles 
lower  down.  Perceiving  stagnant  waters  about  the  town,  and  an 
appearance  of  the  house  that  we  stopped  at  being  infested  with 
bugs,  we  resolved  not  to  make  any  stay  at  Louisville,  but  got 
into  our  skiff  and  floated  down  the  falls  to  Shippingport.  We 
found  it  very  rough  floating,  not  to  say  dangerous.  The  river  of 
very  unequal  widths  and  full  of  islands  and  rocks  along  this  short 
distance,  and  the  current  very  rapid,  though  the  descent  is  not 
more  than  22  feet.  At  certain  times  of  the  year  the  water  rises 
so  that  there  is  no  fall;  large  boats  can  then  pass. 

At  Shippingport,  stopped  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Berthoud,  a 
very  respectable  French  gentleman,  from  whom  we  received  the 
greatest  civility  during  our  stay,  which  was  two  nights  and  the 
day  intervening. 

Shippingport  is  situated  at  a  place  of  very  great  importance, 
being  the  upper  extremity  of  that  part  of  the  river  which  is 
navigable  for  heavy  steam-boats.  All  the  goods  coming  from  the 
country  are  reshipped,  and  every  thing  going  to  it  is  un-shipped, 
here.  Mr.  Berthoud  has  the  store  in  which  the  articles  exporting 
or  importing  are  lodged:  and  is,  indeed,  a  great  shipper,  though 
at  a  thousand  miles  from  the  sea. 

June  20ih. — Left  the  good  and  comfortable  house  of  Mr. 
Berthoud,  very  much  pleased  with  him  and  his  amible  wife  and 
family,  though  I  differed  with  him  a  little  in  politics.  Having 
been  taught  at  church,  when  a  boy,  that  the  Pope  was  the  whore 
of  Babylon,  that  the  Bourbons  were  tyrants,  and  that  the  Priests 
and  privileged  orders  of  France  were  impostors  and  petty  tyrants 
under  them,  I  could  not  agree  with  him  in  applauding  the  Bor- 
oughmongers  of  England  for  re-subjugating  the  people  of  France, 
and  restoring  the  Bourbons,  the  Pope,  and  the  Inquisition. 

Stop  at  New  Albany,  2  miles  below  Shippingport,  till  the 
evening.  A  Mr.  Paxton,  I  am  told,  is  the  proprietor  of  a  great 
part  of  the  town,  and  has  the  grist  and  saw-mills,  which  are 
worked  by  steam,  and  the  ferry  across  the  river.  Leave  this 
place  in  company  with  a  couple  of  young  men  from  the  western 
part  of  the  state  of  New  York,  who  are  on  their  way  to  Tennessee 


510  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

in  a  small  ferry  boat.  Their  whole  journey  will,  probably,  be 
about  1,500  miles. 

June  21st. — Floating  down  the  river,  without  any  thing  in 
particular  occurring. 

June  22nd. — Saw  a  Mr.  Johnstone  and  his  wife  reaping  wheat 
on  the  side  of  the  river.  They  told  us  they  had  come  to  this  spot 
last  year,  direct  from  Manchester,  Old  England,  and  had  bought 
their  little  farm  of  55  acres  of  a  back-woodsman  who  had  cleared 
it,  and  was  glad  to  move  further  westward,  for  3  dollars  an  acre. 
They  had  a  fine  flock  of  little  children,  and  pigs  and  poultry,  and 
were  cheerful  and  happy,  being  confident  that  their  industry  and 
economy  would  not  be  frustrated  by  visits  for  tithes  or  taxes. 

June  28rd. — See  great  quantities  of  turkey-buzzards  and 
thousands  of  pigeons.  Came  to  Pigeon  Creek,  about  230  miles 
below  the  Falls,  and  stopped  for  the  night  at  Evansville,  a  town 
of  nine  months  old,  near  the  mouth  of  it.  We  are  now  frequently 
met  and  passed  by  large,  fine  steam-boats,  plying  up  and  down 
the  river.  One  went  by  us  as  we  arrived  here  which  had  left 
Shippingport  only  the  evening  before.  They  go  down  the  river 
at  the  rate  of  10  miles  an  hour,  and  charge  passengers  6  cents  a 
mile,  boarding  and  lodging  included.  The  price  is  great  but  the 
time  is  short. 

June  24th. — -Left  Evansville.  This  little  place  is  rapidly 
increasing,  and  promises  to  be  a  town  of  considerable  trade.  It 
is  situated  at  a  spot  which  seems  likely  to  become  a  port  for 
shipping  to  Princeton  and  a  pretty  large  district  of  Indiana.  I 
find  that  the  land  speculators  have  made  entry  of  the  most  eligible 
tracts  of  land,  which  will  impede  the  partial,  though  not  the  final, 
progress  of  population  and  improvement  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

On  our  way  to  Princeton,  we  see  large  flocks  of  fine  wild  tur- 
keys, and  whole  herds  of  pigs,  apparently  very  fat.  The  pigs  are 
wild  also,  but  have  become  so  from  neglect.  Some  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, who  prefer  sport  to  work,  live  by  shooting  these  wild  tur- 
keys and  pigs,  and  indeed,  sometimes,  I  understand,  they  shoot 
and  carry  off  those  of  their  neighbours  before  they  are  wild. 

June  25th. — Arrived  at  Princeton,  Indiana,  about  twenty 
miles  from  the  river.  I  was  sorry  to  see  very  little  doing  in  this 
town.  They  cannot  all  keep  stores  and  taverns!  One  of  the 
storekeepers  told  me  he  does  not  sell  more  than  ten  thousand 
dollars  value  per  annum :  he  ought,  then,  to  manufacture  something 
and  not  spend  nine  tenths  of  his  time  in  lolling  with  a  segar  in 
his  mouth. 


WILLIAM  COBBETT.  511 

June  26th. — At  Princeton,  endeavouring  to  purchase  horses, 
as  we  had  now  gone  far  enough  down  the  Ohio.  While  waiting 
in  our  tavern,  two  men  called  in  armed  with  rifles,  and  made 
enquiries  for  some  horses  they  suspected  to  be  stolen.  They  told 
us  they  had  been  almost  all  the  way  from  Albany,  to  Shawnee 
town  after  them,  a  distance  of  about  150  miles.  I  asked  them 
how  they  would  be  able  to  secure  the  thieves,  if  they  overtook 
them,  in  these  wild  woods;  "O,"  said  they,  "shoot  them  off  the 
horses."  This  is  a  summary  mode  of  executing  justice,  thought 
I,  though  probably  the  most  effectual,  and,  indeed,  only  one  in 
this  state  of  society.  A  thief  very  rarely  escapes  here;  not  nearly 
so  often  as  in  more  populous  districts.  The  fact  was,  in  this  case, 
however,  we  discovered  afterwards,  that  the  horses,  had  strayed 
away,  and  had  returned  home  by  this  time.  But,  if  they  had  been 
stolen,  the  stealers  would  not  have  escaped.  When  the  loser  is 
tired,  another  will  take  up  the  pursuit,  and  the  whole  country  is 
up  in  arms  till  he  is  found. 

June  27th. — Still  at  Princeton.  At  last  we  get  suited  with 
horses.  Mine  costs  me  only  135  dollars  with  the  bridle  and  sad- 
dle, and  that  I  am  told  is  18  dollars  too  much. 

June  28th. — Left  Princeton,  and  set  out  to  see  Mr.  Birkbeck's 
settlement,  in  Illinois,  about  35  miles  from  Princeton.  Before 
we  got  to  the  Wabash  we  had  to  cross  a  swamp  of  half  a  mile 
wide;  we  were  obliged  to  lead  our  horses,  and  walk  up  to  the  knees 
in  mud  and  water.  Before  we  got  half  across  we  began  to  think 
of  going  back;  but  there  is  a  sound  bottom  under  it  all,  and  we 
waded  through  it  as  well  as  we  could.  It  is,  in  fact,  nothing  but 
a  bed  of  very  soft  and  rich  land,  and  only  wants  draining  to  be 
made  productive.  We  soon  after  came  to  the  banks  of  the  great 
Wabash,  which  is  here  about  half  a  mile  broad,  and  as  the  ferry- 
boat was  crossing  over  with  us  I  amused  myself  by  washing  my 
dirty  boots.  Before  we  mounted  again  we  happened  to  meet 
with  a  neighbour  of  Mr.  Birkbeck's,  who  was  returning  home; 
we  accompanied  him,  and  soon  entered  into  the  prairie  lands,  up 
to  our  horses'  bellies  in  fine  grass.  These  prairies,  which  are 
surrounded  with  lofty  woods,  put  me  in  mind  of  immense  noble- 
men's parks  in  England.  Some  of  those  we  passed  over  are  called 
wet  prairies,  but,  they  are  dry  at  this  time  of  the  year;  and,  as 
they  are  none  of  them  flat,  they  need  but  very  simple  draining 
to  carry  off  the  water  all  the  year  round.  Our  horses  were  very 
much  tormented  with  flies,  some  as  large  as  the  English  horse-fly 
and  some  as  large  as  the  wasp;  these  flies  infest  the  prairies  that 


512  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

are  unimproved  about  three  months  in  the  year,  but  go  away 
altogether  as  soon  as  cultivation  begins. 

Mr.  Birkbeck's  settlement  is  situated  between  the  two 
Wabashes,  and  is  about  ten  miles  from  the  nearest  navigable 
water;  we  arrived  there  about  sunset  and  met  with  a  welcome 
which  amply  repaid  us  for  our  day's  toil.  We  found  that  gentle- 
man with  his  two  sons  perfectly  healthy  and  in  high  spirits:  his 
daughters  were  at  Henderson  (a  town  in  Kentucky,  on  the  Ohio) 
on  a  visit.  At  present  his  habitation  is  a  cabin,  the  building  of 
which  cost  only  20  dollars;  this  little  hutch  is  near  the  spot  where 
he  is  about  to  build  his  house,  which  he  intends  to  have  in  the 
most  eligible  situation  in  the  priairie  for  convenience  to  fuel  and 
for  shelter  in  winter,  as  well  as  for  breezes  in  summer,  and  will, 
when  that  is  completed,  make  one  of  its  appurtenances.  I  like 
this  plan  of  keeping  the  old  loghouse;  it  reminds  the  grand  chil- 
dren and  their  children's  children  of  what  their  ancestor  has  done 
for  their  sake. 

Few  settlers  had  as  yet  joined  Mr.  Birkbeck;  that  is  to  say, 
settlers  likely  to  become  "society;"  he  had  labourers  enough  near 
him,  either  in  his  own  houses  or  on  land  of  their  own  joining  his 
estate.  He  was  in  daily  expectation  of  his  friends,  Mr.  Flower's 
family,  however,  with  a  large  party  besides;  they  had  just  landed 
at  Shawnee  Town,  about  20  miles  distant.  Mr.  Birkbeck  informs 
me  he  has  made  entry  of  a  large  tract  of  land,  lying,  part  of  it, 
all  the  way  from  his  residence  to  the  great  Wabash;  this  he  will 
re-sell  again  in  lots  to  any  of  his  friends,  they  taking  as  much  of 
it  and  wherever  they  choose  (provided  it  be  no  more  than  they 
can  cultivate),  at  an  advance  which  I  think  "very  fair  and  liberal. 

The  whole  of  his  operations  had  been  directed  hitherto  (and 
wisely  in  my  opinion)  to  building,  fencing,  and  other  important 
preparations.  He  had  done  nothing  in  the  cultivating  way  but 
make  a  good  garden,  which  supplies  him  with  the  only  things  that 
he  cannot  purchase,  and,  at  present,  perhaps,  with  more  economy 
than  he  could  grow  them.  He  is  within  twenty  miles  of  Harmony; 
in  Indiana,  where  he  gets  his  flour  and  all  other  necessaries  (the 
produce  of  the  country)  and  therefore  employs  himself  much 
better  in  making  barns  and  houses  and  mills  for  the  reception 
and  disposal  of  his  crops,  and  fences  to  preserve  them  while 
growing,  before  he  grows  them,  than  to  get  the  crops  first.  I  have 
heard  it  observed  that  any  American  settler,  even  without  a 
dollar  in  his  pocket,  would  have  had  something  growing  by  this 
time.  Very  true!  I  do  not  question  that  at  all;  for,  the  very 


WILLIAM  COBBETT.  513 

first  care  of  a  settler  without  a  dollar  in  his  pocket  is  to  get  some- 
thing to  eat,  and,  he  would  consequently  set  to  work  scratching 
up  the  earth,  fully  confident  that  after  a  long  summering  upon 
wild  flesh  (without  salt,  perhaps,)  his  own  belly  would  stand  him 
for  barn,  if  his  jaws  would  not  for  mill.  But  the  case  is  very 
different  with  Mr.  Birkbeck,  and  at  present  he  has  need  for  no 
other  provision  for  winter  but  about  a  three  hundredth  part  of 
his  fine  grass  turned  into  hay,  which  will  keep  his  necessary  horses 
and  cows:  besides  which  he  has  nothing  that  eats  but  such  pigs 
as  live  upon  the  waste,  and  a  couple  of  fine  young  deer  (which 
would  weigh,  they  say,  when  full  grown,  200  Ib.  dead  weight)  that 
his  youngest  son  is  rearing  up  as  pets. 

I  very  much  admire  Mr.  Birkbeck's  mode  of  fencing.  He 
makes  a  ditch  4  feet  wide  at  top,  sloping  to  1  foot  wide  at  bottom, 
and  4  feet  deep.  With  the  earth  that  come  out  of  the  ditch  he 
makes  a  bank  on  one  side,  which  is  turfed  towards  the  ditch. 
Then  a  long  pole  is  put  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  ditch  to  2 
feet  above  the  bank;  this  is  crossed  by  a  sort  pole  from  the  other 
side,  and  then  a  rail  is  laid  along  between  the  forks.  The  banks 
were  growing  beautifully,  and  looked  altogether  very  neat  as 
well  as  formidable ;  though  a  live  hedge  (which  he  intends  to  have) 
instead  of  dead  poles  and  rails,  upon  top,  would  make  the  fence 
far  more  effectual  as  well  as  handsomer.  I  am  always  surprised, 
until  I  reflect  how  universally  and  to  what  a  degree,  farming  is 
neglected  in  this  country,  that  this  mode  of  fencing  is  not  adopted 
in  cultivated  districts,  especially  where  the  land  is  wet,  or  lies 
low;  for,  there  it  answers  a  double  purpose,  being  as  effectual  a 
drain  as  it  is  a  fence. 

I  was  rather  disappointed,  or  sorry,  at  any  rate,  not  to  find 
near  Mr.  Birkbeck's  any  of  the  means  for  machinery  or  of  the 
materials  for  manufactures,  such  as  the  water-falls,  and  the  min- 
erals and  mines,  which  are  possessed  in  such  abundance  by  the 
states  of  Ohio  and  Kentucky,  and  by  some  parts  of  Pennsylvania. 
Some  of  these,  however,  he  may  yet  find.  Good  water  he  has, 
at  any  rate.  He  showed  me  a  well  25  feet  deep,  bored  partly 
through  hard  substances  near  the  bottom,  that  was  nearly  over- 
flowing with  water  of  excellent  quality. 

July  1st. — Left  Mr.  Birkbeck's  for  Harmony,  Indiana.  The 
distance  by  the  direct  way  is  about  18  miles,  but,  there  is  no 
road,  as  yet;  indeed,  it  was  often  with  much  difficulty  that  we 
could  discover  the  way  at  all.  After  we  had  crossed  the  Wabash, 
which  we  did  at  a  place  called  Davis's  Ferry,  we  hired  a  man  to 

T — sis 


514  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

conduct  us  some  part  of  the  way  through  the  woods.  In  about 
a  mile  he  brought  us  to  a  track,  which  was  marked  out  by  slips 
of  bark  being  stipped  off  the  trees,  once  in  about  40  yards;  he 
then  left  us  and  told  us  we  could  not  mistake  if  we  followed  that 
track.  We  soon  lost  all  appearance  of  the  track,  however,  and 
of  the  "blazing"  of  the  trees,  as  they  call  it;  but,  as  it  was  useless 
to  go  back  again  for  another  guide,  our  only  way  was  to  keep 
straight  on  in  the  same  direction,  bring  us  where  it  would.  Hav- 
ing no  compass,  this  nearly  cost  us  our  sight,  for  it  was  just  mid- 
day, and  we  had  to  gaze  at  the  sun  a  long  time  before  we  dis- 
covered what  was  our  course.  After  this  we  soon,  to  our  great 
joy,  found  ourselves  in  a  large  corn  field;  rode  round  it,  and  came 
to  Johnson's  Ferry,  a  place  where  a  Bayou  (Boyau)  of  the  Wabash 
is  crossed.  This  Bayou  is  a  run  out  of  the  main  river  round  a 
flat  portion  of  land,  which  is  sometimes  overflowed:  it  is  part  of 
the  same  river,  and  the  land  encompassed  by  it,  an  island. 
Crossed  this  ferry  in  a  canoe,  and  got  a  ferry-man  to  swim  our 
horses  after  us.  Mounted  again  and  followed  a  track  which 
brought  us  to  Black  River,  which  we  forded  without  getting  wet, 
by  holding  our  feet  up.  After  crossing  the  river  we  found  a  man 
who  was  kind  enough  to  shew  us  about  half  a  mile  through  the 
woods,  by  which  our  journey  was  shortened  five  or  six  miles. 
He  put  us  into  a  direct  track  to  Harmony,  through  lands  as  rich 
as  a  dung-hill,  and  covered  with  immense  timber;  we  thanked 
him,  and  pushed  on  our  horses  with  eager  curiosity  to  see  this 
far-famed  Harmonist  Society. 

On  coming  within  the  precincts  of  the  Harmonites  we  found 
ourselves  at  the  side  of  the  Wabash  again;  the  river  on  our  right 
hand,  and  their  lands  on  our  left.  Our  road  now  lay  across  a 
field  of  Indian  corn,  of,  at  the  very  least,  a  mile  in  width,  and 
bordering  the  town  on  the  side  we  entered;  I  wanted  nothing 
more  than  to  behold  this  immense  field  of  most  beautiful  corn  to 
be  at  once  convinced  of  all  I  had  heard  of  the  industry  of  this 
society  of  Germans,  and  I  found,  on  preceeding  a  little  farther, 
that  the  progress  they  had  made  exceeded  all  my  idea  of  it. 

The  town  is  methodically  laid  out  in  a  situation  well  chosen 
in  all  respects;  the  houses  are  good  and  clean,  and  have,  each  one, 
a  nice  garden  well  stocked  with  all  vegetables  and  tastily  orna- 
mented with  flowers.  I  observe  that  these  people  are  very  fond 
of  flowers,  by  the  bye;  the  cultivation  of  them,  and  musick,  are 
their  chief  amusements.  I  am  sorry  to  see  this,  as  it  is  to  me  a 
strong  symptom  of  simplicity  and  ignorance,  if  not  a  badge  of 


WILLIAM  COBBETT.  515 

their  German  slavery.  Perhaps  the  pains  they  take  with  them 
is  the  cause  of  their  flowers  being  finer  than  any  I  have  hitherto 
seen  in  America,  but,  most  probably,  the  climate  here  is  more 
favourable.  Having  refreshed  ourselves  at  the  Tavern,  where 
we  found  every  thing  we  wanted  for  ourselves  and  our  horses, 
and  all  very  clean  and  nice,  besides  many  good  things  we  did 
not  expect,  such  as  beer,  porter,  and  even  wine,  all  made  within 
the  Society,  and  very  good  indeed,  we  then  went  out  to  see  the 
people  at  their  harvest,  which  was  just  begun.  There  were  150 
men  and  women  all  reaping  in  the  same  field  of  wheat.  A  beau- 
tiful sight!  The  crop  was  very  fine,  and  the  field,  extending  to 
about  two  miles  in  length,  and  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile  in  width, 
was  all  open  to  one  view,  the  sun  shining  on  it  from  the  West, 
and  the  reapers  advancing  regularly  over  it. 

At  sun-set  all  the  people  came  in,  from  the  fields,  work-shops, 
mills,  manufactories,  and  from  all  their  labours.  This  being  their 
evening  for  prayer  during  the  week,  the  Church  bell  called  them 
out  again  in  about  15  minutes,  to  attend  a  lecture  from  their 
High  Priest  and  Law-giver,  Mr.  George  Rapp.  We  went  to 
hear  the  lecture,  or,  rather,  to  see  the  performance,-  for,  it  being 
all  performed  in  German,  we  could  understand  not  a  word.  The 
people  were  all  collected  in  a  twinkling,  the  men  at  one  end  of 
the  Church  and  the  women  at  the  other;  it  looked  something  like 
a  Quaker  Meeting,  except  that  there  was  not  a  single  little  child 
in  the  place.  Here  they  were  kept  by  their  Pastor  a  couple  of 
hours,  after  which  they  returned  home  to  bed.  This  is  the  quan- 
tum of  Church-service  they  perform  during  the  week;  but  on 
Sundays  they  are  in  Church  nearly  the  whole  of  the  time  from 
getting  up  to  going  to  bed.  When  it  happens  that  Mr.  Rapp 
cannot  attend,  either  by  indisposition  or  other  accident,  the 
Society  still  meet  as  usual,  and  the  elders  (certain  of  the  most 
trusty  and  discreet,  whom  the  Pastor  selects  as  a  sort  of  assistants 
in  his  divine  commission)  converse  on  religious  subjects. 

Return  to  the  Tavern  to  sleep;  a  good  comfortable  house,  well 
kept  by  decent  people,  and  the  master  himself,  who  is  very  intelli- 
gent and  obliging,  is  one  of  the  very  few  at  Harmony  who  can 
speak  English.  Our  beds  were  as  good  as  those  stretched  upon 
by  the  most  highly  pensioned  and  placed  Boroughmongers,  and 
our  sleep,  I  hope,  much  better  than  the  tyrants  ever  get,  in  spite 
of  all  their  dungeons  and  gags. 

July  2nd. — Early  in  the  morning,  took  a  look  at  the  manufac- 
turing establishment,  accompanied  by  our  Tavern-keeper.  I 


516  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

find  great  attention  is  paid  to  this  branch  of  their  affairs.  Their 
principle  is,  not  to  be  content  with  the  profit  upon  the  manual 
labour  of  raising  the  article,  but  also  to  have  the  benefit  of  the 
machine  in  preparing  it  for  use.  I  agree  with  them  perfectly, 
and  only  wish  the  subject  was  as  well  understood  all  over  the 
United  States  as  it  is  at  Harmony.  It  is  to  their  skill  in  this  way 
that  they  owe  their  great  prosperity;  if  they  had  been  nothing 
but  farmers,  they  would  be  now  at  Harmony  in  Pennsylvania, 
poor  cultivators,  getting  a  bare  subsistence,  instead  of  having 
doubled  their  property  two  or  three  times  over,  by  which  they 
have  been  able  to  move  here  and  select  one  of  the  choicest  spots 
in  the  country. 

But  in  noting  down  the  state  of  this  Society,  as  it  now  is,  its 
origin  should  not  be  forgotten;  the  curious  history  of  it  serves  as 
an  explanation  to  the  jumble  of  sense  and  absurdity  in  the  asso- 
ciation. I  will  therefore  trace  the  Harmonist  Society  from  its 
outset  in  Germany  to  this  place. 

The  Sect  has  its  origin  at  Wurtemberg  in  Germany,  about  40 
years  ago,  in  the  person  of  its  present  Pastor  and  Master,  George 
Rapp,  who,  by  his  own  account,  "Having  long  seen  and  felt  the 
decline  of  the  Church,  found  himself  impelled  to  bear  testimony 
to  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  Christian  Religion;  and, 
finding  no  toleration  for  his  inspired  doctrines,  or  for  those  who 
adopted  them,  he  determined  with  his  followers  to  go  to  that 
part  of  the  earth,  where  they  were  free  to  worship  God  according 
to  the  dictates  of  their  conscience."  In  other  words  (I  suppose), 
he  had  long  beheld  and  experienced  the  slavery  and  misery  of 
his  country,  and,  feeling  in  his  conscience  that  he  was  born  more 
for  a  ruler  than  for  a  slave,  found  himself  imperiously  called  upon 
to  collect  together  a  body  of  his  poor  countrymen  and  to  lead 
them  into  a  land  of  liberty  and  abundance.  However  allowing 
him  to  have  had  no  other  than  his  professed  views,  he,  after  he 
had  got  a  considerable  number  of  proselytes,  amounting  to  seven 
or  eight  hundred  persons,  among  whom  were  a  sufficiency  of 
good  labourers  and  artizans  in  all  the  essential  branches  of  work- 
manship and  trade,  besides  farmers,  he  embodied  them  into  a 
Society,  and  then  came  himself  to  America  (not  trusting  to  Provi- 
dence to  lead  the  way)  to  seek  out  the  land  destined  for  these 
chosen  children.  Having  done  so,  and  laid  the  plan  for  his  route 
to  the  land  of  peace  and  Christian  love,  with  a  foresight  which 
shows  him  to  have  been  by  no  means  unmindful  to  the  temporal 
prosperity  of  the  Society,  he  then  landed  his  followers  in  separate 


WILLIAM  COBBETT.  517 

bodies,  and  prudently  led  them  in  that  order  to  a  resting  place 
within  Pennsylvania,  choosing  rather  to  retard  their  progress 
through  the  wilderness  than  to  hazard  the  discontent  that  might 
arise  from  want  and  fatigue  in  traversing  it  at  once.  When  they 
were  all  arrived,  Rapp  constituted  them  into  one  body,  having 
every  thing  in  common,  and  called  the  settlement  Harmony. 
This  constitution  he  found  authorised  by  the  passage  in  Acts, 
iv.  32,  "And  the  multitude  of  them  that  believed  were  of  one 
heart,  and  of  one  soul :  neither  said  any  of  them  that  aught  of  the 
things  be  possessed  was  his  own,  but  that  they  had  all  things  com- 
mon." Being  thus  associated,  the  Society  went  to  work,  early 
in  1805,  building  houses  and  clearing  lands,  according  to  the 
order  and  regulations  of  their  leader;  but  the  community  of  stock, 
or  the  regular  discipline,  or  the  restraints  which  he  had  reduced 
them  to,  and  which  were  essential  to  his  project,  soon  began  to 
thin  his  followers  and  principally,  too,  those  of  them  who  had 
brought  most  substance  into  the  society;  they  demanded  back 
their  original  portions  and  set  out  to  seek  the  Lord  by  themselves. 
This  falling  off  of  the  society,  though  it  was  but  small,  compara-' 
tively,  in  point  of  numbers,  was  a  great  reduction  from  their 
means;  they  had  calculated  what  they  should  want  to  consume, 
and  had  laid  the  rest  out  in  land;  so  that  the  remaining  part  were 
subjected  to  great  hardships  and  difficulties  for  the  first  year  or 
two  of  their  settling,  which  was  during  the  time  of  their  greatest 
labours.  However,  it  was  not  long  before  they  began  to  reap 
the  fruits  of  their  toil,  and  in  the  space  of  six  or  seven  years  their 
settlement  became  a  most  flourishing  colony.  During  that  short 
space  of  time  they  brought  into  cultivation  3,000  acres  of  land 
(a  third  of  their  whole  estate),  reared  a  flock  of  nearly  2,000 
sheep,  and  planted  hop-gardens,  orchards,  and  vineyards;  built 
barns  and  stables  to  house  their  crops  and  their  live  stock,  gran- 
aries to  keep  one  year's  produce  of  grain  always  in  advance 
houses  to  make  their  cyder,  beer,  and  wine  in,  and  good  brick  or 
stone  warehouses  for  their  several  species  of  goods;  constructed 
distilleries,  mills  for  grinding,  sawing,  making  oil,  and,  indeed 
for  every  purpose,  and  machines  for  manufacturing  their  various 
materials  for  clothing  and  other  uses;  they  had,  besides,  .a  store 
for  retailing  Philadelphia  goods  to  the  country,  and  nearly .  100 
good  dwelling-houses,  of  wood,  a  large  stone-built  tavern,  and,  as 
a  proof  of  superabundance,  a  dwelling-house  and  a  meeting-house 
(alias  the  parsonage  and  church)  which  they  had  neatly  built  of 
brick.  And,  besides  all  these  improvements  within  the  society, 


518  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

they  did  a  great  deal  of  business,  principally  in  the  way  of  manu- 
facturing, for  the  people  of  the  country.  They  worked  f*or  them 
with  their  mills  and  machines,  some  of  which  did  nothing  else, 
and  their  blacksmiths,  tailors,  shoe-makers,  &c.  when  not 
employed  by  themselves,  were  constantly  at  work  for  their  neigh- 
bours. Thus  this  everlastingly  -  at  -  work  band  of  emigrants 
increased  their  stock  before  they  quitted  their  first  colony,  to 
upwards  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  from,  probably  not 
one  fifth  of  that  sum.  What  will  not  unceasing  perseverance 
accomplish?  But,  with  judgment  and  order  to  direct  it,  what 
in  the  world  can  stand  against  it!* 

In  comparing  the  state  of  this  society  as  it  now  is  with  what  it 
was  in  Pennsylvania,  it  is  just  the  same  as  to  plan;  the  temporal 
and  spiritual  affairs  are  managed  in  the  same  way,  and  upon  the 
same  principles,  only  both  are  more  flourishing.  Rapp  has  here 
brought  his  disciples  into  richer  land,  and  into  a  situation  better 
in  every  respect,  both  for  carrying  on  their  trade,  and  for  keep- 
ing to  their  faith;  their  vast  extent  of  land  is,  they  say,  four  feet 
deep  of  rich  mould,  nearly  the  whole  of  it,  and  it -lies  along  the 
banks  of  a  fine  navigable  river  on  one  side,  while  the  possibility 
of  much  interruption  from  other  classes  of  Christians  is  effectually 
guarded  against  by  an  endless  barricade  of  woods  on  the  other 
side.  Bringing  the  means  and  experience  acquired  at  their  first 
establishment,  they  have  of  course  gone  on  improving  and 
increasing  (not  in  population)  at  a  much  greater  rate.  One  of 
their  greatest  improvements,  they  tell  me  is  the  working  of  their 
mills  and  manufacturing  machines  by  steam;  they  feel  the  advan- 
tage of  this  more  and  more  every  year.  They  are  now  preparing 
to  build  a  steam  boat;  this  is  to  be  employed  in  their  traffick  with 
New  Orleans  carrying  their  own  surplus  produce  and  returning 
with  tea,  coffee,  and  other  commodities  for  their  own  consump- 
tion, and  to  retail  to  the  people  of  the  country.  I  believe  they 
advance,  too,  in  the  way  of  ornaments  and  superfluities,  for  the 
dwelling-house  they  have  now  built  their  pastor,  more  resembles 
a  Bishop's  Palace  than  what  I  should  figure  to  myself  as  the  hum- 
ble abode  of  a  teacher  of  the  "fundamental  principles  of  the 
Christian  Religion." 

The  government  of  this  society  is  by  bands,  each  consisting 
of  a  distinct  trade  or  calling.  They  have  a  foreman  to  each 
band,  who  rules  it  under  the  general  direction  of  the  society,  the 

*A  more  detailed  account  of  this  society  up  to  the  year  1811,  will  be  found  in  Mr. 
Mellishe's  Travels,  Vol.  2. 


WILLIAM  COBBETT.  519 

law-giving  power  of  Avhich  is  in  the  High  Priest.  He  cannot, 
however  make  laws  without  the  consent  of  the  parties.  The 
manufacturing  establishment,  and  the  mercantile  affairs  and 
public  accounts  are  all  managed  by  one  person;  he,  I  believe,  is 
one  of  the  sons  of  Rapp.  They  have  a  bank,  where  a  separate 
account  is  kept  for  each  person;  if  any  one  puts  in  money,  or  has 
put  in  money,  he  may  on  certain  conditions  as  to  time,  take  it 
out  again.  They  labour  and  possess  in  common;  that  is  to  say, 
except  where  it  is  not  practicable  or  is  immaterial,  as  with  their 
houses,  gardens,  cows  and  poultry,  which  they  have  to  themselves, 
each  family.  They  also  retain  what  property  each  may  bring  on 
joining  the  concern,  and  he  may  demand  it  in  case  of  leaving  the 
society,  but  without  interest. 

Here  is  certainly  a  wonderful  example  of  the  effects  of  skill, 
industry,  and  force  combined.  This  congregation  of  far-seeing, 
ingenious,  crafty,  and  bold,  and  of  ignorant,  simple,  superstitious, 
and  obedient,  Germans,  has  shown  what  may  be  done.  But  their 
example,  I  believe,  will  generally  only  tend  to  confirm  this  free 
people  in  their  suspicion  that  labour  is  concomitant  to  slavery 
or  ignorance.  Instead  of  their  improvements,  and  their  success 
and  prosperity  altogether,  producing  admiration,  if  not  envy, 
they  have  a  social  discipline,  the  thought  of  which  reduces  these 
feelings  to  ridicule  and  contempt:  that  is  to  say,  with  regard  to 
the  mass;  with  respect  to  their  leaders  one's  feelings  are  apt  to 
be  stronger.  A  fundamental  of  their  religious  creed  ("restraining 
clause,"  a  Chancery  Lawyer  would  call  it)  requires  restrictions 
on  the  propagation  of  the  species;  it  orders  such  regulations  as 
are  necessary  to  prevent  children  coming  but  once  in  a  certain 
number  of  years;  and  this  matter  is  so  arranged  that,  when  they 
come,  they  come  in  little  nocks,  all  within  the  same  month,  per- 
haps, like  a  farmer's  lambs.  The  Law-giver  here  made  a  famously 
"restraining  statute"  upon  the  law  of  nature!  This  way  of 
expounding  law  seems  to  be  a  main  point  of  his  policy;  he  by  this 
means  keeps  his  associates  from  increasing  to  an  unruly  number 
within,  while  more  are  sure  not  to  come  in  from  without;  and,  I 
really  am  afraid  he  will  go  a  good  way  towards  securing  a  monopoly 
of  many  great  improvements  in  agriculture,  both  as  to  principle 
and  method.  People  see  the  fine  fields  of  the  Harmonites,  but, 
the  prospect  comes  damped  with  the  idea  of  bondage  and  celibacy. 
It  is  a  curious  society:  was  one  ever  heard  of  before  that  did  not 
wish  to  increase!  This  smells  strong  of  policy;  some  distinct  view 
in  the  leaders,  no  doubt.  Who  would  be  surprised  if  we  were  to 


520  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

see  a  still  more  curious  society  by  and  bye?  A  Society  Sole! 
Very  far  from  improbable,  if  the  sons  of  Rapp  (for  he  has  children, 
nevertheless,  as  well  as  Parson  Malthus)  and  the  Elders  were  to 
die,  it  not  being  likely  that  they  will  renounce  or  forfeit  their 
right  to  the  common  stock.  We  should  then  have  societies  as 
well  as  corporations  vested  in  one  person!  That  would  be  quite 
a  novel  kind  of  benefice!  but,  not  the  less  fat.  I  question  whether 
the  associated  person  of  Mr.  Rapp  would  not  be  in  possession  of 
as  fine  a  domain  as  many  good  things  as  the  incorporated  person 
of  an  Archbishop:  nay,  he  would  rival  the  Pope!  But,  to  my 
journal. 

Arrive  at  Princeton  in  the  evening;  a  good  part  of  our  road 
lay  over  the  fine  lands  of  the  Harmonites.  I  understand,  by  the 
bye,  that  the  title  deeds  to  these  lands  are  taken  in  the  name  of 
Rapp  and  of  his  associates.  Poor  associates:  if  they  do  but  rebel! 
Find  the  same  store-keepers  and  tavern-keepers  in  the  same 
attitudes  that  we  left  them  in  the  other  day.  Their  legs  only  a 
little  higher  than  their  heads,  and  segars  in  their  mouths;  a  fine 
position  for  business!  It  puts  my  friend  in  mind  of  the  Roman 
posture  in  dining. 

July  3rd. — At  Princeton  all  day.  This  is  a  pretty  consider- 
able place;  very  good  as  to  buildings;  but  is  too  much  inland  to 
be  a  town  of  any  consequance  until  the  inhabitants  do  that  at 
home  which  they  employ  merchants  and  foreign  manufacturers 
to  do  for  them.  Pay  1  dollar  for  a  set  of  old  shoes  to  my  horse, 
half  the  price  of  new  ones. 

July  4th. — Leave  Princeton;  in  the  evening,  reach  a  place  very 
appropriately  called  Mud-holes,  after  riding  46  miles  over  lands 
in  general  very  good  but  very  little  cultivated,  and  that  little 
very  badly;  the  latter  part  of  the  journey  in  company  with  a 
Mr.  Jones  from  Kentucky.  Nature  is  the  agriculturist  here; 
speculation  instead  of  cultivation,  is  the  order  of  the  day  amongst 
men.  We  feel  the  ill  effects  of  this  in  the  difficulty  of  getting  oats 
for  our  horses.  However,  the  evil  is  unavoidable,  if  it  can  be 
really  called  an  evil.  As  well  might  I  grumble  that  farmers  have 
not  taken  possession  as  complain  that  men  of  capital  have. 
Labour  is  the  thing  wanted,  but,  to  have  that  money  must  come 
first.  This  Mud-holes  was  a  sort  of  fort,  not  4  years  ago,  for 
guarding  against  Indians,  who  then  committed  great  depreda- 
tions, killing  whole  families  often,  men,  women  and  children. 
How  changeable  are  the  affairs  of  this  world!  I  have  not  met 
with  a  single  Indian  in  the  whole  course  of  my  route. 


WILLIAM  COBBETT.  521 

July  5th. — Come  to  Judge  Chamber's,  a  good  tavern;  35  miles. 
On  our  way,  pass  French  Lick,  a  strong  spring  of  water  impreg- 
nated with  salt  and  sulphur,  and  called  Lick  from  its  being  resorted 
to  by  cattle  for  the  salt;  close  by  this  spring  is  another  still  larger, 
of  fine  clear  lime-stone  water,  running  fast  enough  to  turn  a  mill. 
Some  of  the  trees  near  the  Judge's  exhibit  a  curious  spectacle;  a 
large  piece  of  wood  appears  totally  dead,  all  the  leaves  brown 
and  the  branches  broken,  from  being  roosted  upon  lately  by  an 
enormous  multitude  of  pigeons.  A  novel  sight  for  us,  unaccus- 
tomed to  the  abundance  of  the  back- woods!  No  tavern  but  this, 
nor  house  of  any  description,  within  many  miles. 

July  6th. — Leave  the  Judge's,  still  in  company  with  Mr.  Jones. 
Ride  25  miles  to  breakfast,  not  sooner  finding  feed  for  our  horses; 
this  was  at  the  dirty  log-house  of  Mr.  -  -  who  has  a  large 
farm  with  a  grist  mill  on  it,  and  keeps  his  yard  and  stables  ancle 
deep  in  mud  and  water.  If  this  were  not  one  of  the  healthiest 
climates  in  the  world,  he  and  his  family  must  have  died  in  all 
this  filth.  About  13  miles  further,  come  to  New  Albany,  where 
we  stop  at  Mr.  Jenkins's,  the  best  tavern  we  have  found  in 
Indiana,  that  at  Harmony  excepted. 

July  7th. — Resting  at  New  Albany.  We  were  amused  by 
hearing  a  Quaker-lady  preach  to  the  natives.  Her  first  words 
were  "All  the  nations  of  the  earth  are  of  one  blood."  "So,"  said  I 
to  myself,  "this  question,  which  has  so  long  perplexed  philoso- 
phers, divines  and  physicians,  is  now  set  at  rest!"  She  proceeded 
to  vent  her  rage  with  great  vehemence  against  hireling  priests  and 
the  trade  of  preaching  in  general,  and  closed  with  dealing  out  large 
portions  of  brimstone  to  the  drunkard  and  still  larger  and  hotter 
to  those  who  give  the  bottle  to  drink.  This  part  of  her  discourse 
pleased  me  very  much  and  may  be  a  saving  to  me  into  the  bar- 
gain; for,  the  dread  of  everlasting  roasting  added  to  my  love  of 
economy  will  (I  think)  prevent  me  making  my  friends  tipsy.  A 
very  efficacious  sermon! 

July  8th. — Jenkins's  is  a  good  tavern,  but  it  entertains  at  a 
high  price.  Our  bill  was  6  dollars  each  for  a  day  and  two  nights; 
a  shameful  charge.  Leave  New  Albany,  cross  the  Ohio,  and  pass 
through  Louisville  in  Kentucky  again,  on  our  way  to  Lexington, 
the  capital.  Stop  for  the  night  at  Mr.  Netherton's,  a  good  tav- 
ern. The  land  hitherto  is  good,  and  the  country  altogether 
healthy,  if  I  may  judge  from  the  people  who  appear  more  cheer- 
ful and  happy  than  in  Indiana,  always  excepting  Harmony.  Our 
landlord  is  the  picture  of  health  and  strength:  6  feet  4  inches 
high,  weighs  300  Ib.  and  not  fat. 


From  The  Americans  as  they  are;  described  in  a  tour 
through  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  by  the  author 
of  "Austria  as  it  is"  [1828],  pp.  31-42,  58-60,  66-71. 

POSTEL,  KARL.     (Pseudonym  Charles  Sealsfield) 

To  the  political  thinkers  of  Europe,  the  period  of  the  "twenties"  during 
the  last  century  witnessed  a  very  important  transition  in  our  nat  on's  develop- 
ment. If  we  are  to  believe  the  contemporary  accounts,  the  Europeans 
were  taken  by  surprise  when  they  read  the  significant  warning  couched  in 
the  Monroe  Doctrine,  issued  in  1823.  And  when  John  Quincy  Adams  gave 
it  still  greater  force,  a  few  observers  began  to  inquire  into  the  reason  for  this 
sudden  evolution  of  a  world  power.  Many  came  to  study  our  society  and 
institutions  first  hand.  Among  them  was  one  Karl  Postel,  who  had  travelled 
extensively  over  Central  Europe,  and  had  written  a  creditable  work  entitled 
"Austria  as  it  is."  His  observations  in  America  were  confined  largely  to  the 
region  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  valleys.  While  his  notes  are  somewhat 
brief,  the  reader  can  feel  certain  that  they  are  his  own,  and  his  conclusions 
are  drawn  from  actual  experience. 

VEVAY,  in  Indiana,  became  a  settlement  twenty  years  ago,  by 
Swiss  emigrants,  who  obtained  a  grant  of  land,  equal  to  200 
acres  for  each  family,  under  the  condition  of  cultivating  the  vine; 
they  accordingly  settled  here,  and  laid  out  vineyards.  The  orig- 
inal settlers  may  have  amounted  to  thirty;  others  joined  them 
afterwards,  and  in  this  manner  was  founded  the  county  town  of 
New  Switzerland,  in  Indiana,  which  consists  almost  exclusively 
of  these  French  and  Swiss  settlers.  They  have  their  vineyards 
below  the  town,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Ohio.  The  vines, 
however,  have  degenerated,  and  the  produce  is  an  indifferent 
beverage,  resembling  any  thing  but  claret,  as  it  had  been  repre- 
sented. Two  of  them  have  attempted  to  cultivate  the  river 
hills,  and  the  vineyards  laid  out  there  are  rather  of  a  better  sort. 
The  town  is  on  the  decline;  it  has  a  court-house,  and  two  stores 
very  ill  supplied.  The  condition  of  these,  and  the  absence  of 
lawyers,  are  sure  indications  of  the  poverty  of  the  inhabitants,  if 
broken  windows,  and  doors  falling  from  their  hinges,  should 
leave  any  doubt  on  the  subject;  they  are,  however,  a  merry  set 
of  people,  and  balls  are  held  regularly  every  month.  In  the 
evening  arrived  ten  teams  laden  with  fifty  emigrants  from  Ken- 
tucky, going  to  settle  in  Indiana;  their  reasons  for  doing  this 
were  numerous.  Although  they  had  bought  their  lands  in  Ken- 
tucky twice  over,  they  had  to  give  them  up  a  third  time,  their 

(522) 


KARL  POSTEL.  523 

titles  having  proved  invalid;  but  still  they  would  have  remained, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  insolent  behaviour  of  their  more  wealthy 
neighbours,  who,  in  consequence  of  these  emigrants  having  no 
slaves,  and  being  thus  obliged  to  work  for  themselves,  not  only 
treated  them  as  slaves,  but  even  encouraged  their  own  blacks  to 
give  them  every  kind  of  annoyance,  and  to  rob  them — for  no 
other  reason  than  their  dislike  to  have  paupers  for  neighbours. 

My  landlord  assured  me  that  at  least  200  wagons  had  passed 
from  the  Kentucky  side,  through  Vevay,  during  the  present  sea- 
son, all  full  of  emigrants,  discouraged  from  continuing  among 
these  lawless  people. 

The  state  of  Indiana,  which  I  had  now  entered,  begins  below 
Cincinnati,  running  down  the  big  Miami  westward  to  the  big 
W  abash,  which  separates  this  country  from  the  Illinois.  To  the 
south,  it  is  bounded  by  the  Ohio;  to  the  north,  by  lake  Michi- 
gan; thus  extending  from  37°  50"  to  42°  10",  north  latitude;  and 
from  7°  40",  to  10°  47",  west  longitude.  Like  the  state  of  Ohio, 
it  belongs  to  the  class  coming  within  the  range  of  the  great  valley 
of  the  Mississippi.  It  exhibits  nearly  the  same  features  as  the 
state  of  Ohio,  with  the  exception,  that  it  approaches  nearer  to 
the  Mississippi  than  its  eastern  neighbour,  and  is  the  second  slope 
of  the  eastern  part  of  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi :  it  declines  more 
than  Ohio,  being  but  250  feet  above  lake  Erie,  and  210  feet  above 
lake  Michigan,  which  is  one  hundred  feet  less  in  elevation  than 
the  state  of  Ohio.  Two  ridges  of  mountains,  or  rather  hills, 
traverse  the  country;  the  Knobs,  or  Silver-hills,  running  ten 
miles  below  Louisville,  in  a  north-eastern  direction,  and  the 
Illinois  mountains  appearing  from  the  west,  and  running  to  the 
north-east,  where  they  fall  to  a  level  with  the  high  plains  of  lake 
Michigan.  These  hills  have  a  perfect  sameness.  The  climate  is 
rather  milder  than  that  of  Ohio.  Cotton  and  tobacco  are  raised 
by  the  farmers  in  sufficient  quantities  for  their  home  consump- 
tion. The  growth  of  timber  is  the  same  as  in  Ohio.  The  vallies 
are  interspersed  with  sycamores  and  beeches;  and  below  the  falls, 
with  maples,  and  cotton  and  walnut-trees.  The  hills  are  covered 
with  beech,  sassafras,  and  logwood.  This  state,  though  not 
inferior  to  Ohio  in  fertility,  and  taken  in  general,  perhaps,  superior 
to  it,  has  one  great  defect.  It  has  no  sufficient  water  commun- 
ication, and  thus  the  inhabitants  have  no  market  for  their 
produce.  There  is  not  in  this  state  any  river  of  importance,  the 
Ohio  which  washes  its  southern  borders  excepted.  A  scarcity  of 
money  therefore  is  more  severely  felt  here,  than  in  any  other 


524  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

state  of  the  Union.  This  want  of  inter-communication,  added  to 
the  circumstance  that  the  state  of  Ohio  had  already  engrossed 
the  whole  surplus  population  from  the  eastern  states,  had  a  preju- 
dicial effect  upon  Indiana,  its  original  population  being  in  general 
by  no  means  so  respectable  as  that  of  Ohio.  In  the  north-west 
it  was  peopled  by  French  emigrants,  from  Canada;  in  the  south, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  and  farther  up,  by  Kentuckians,  who 
fled  from  their  country  for  debt,  or  similar  causes. 

The  state  thus  became  the  refuge  of  adventurers  and  idlers  of 
every  description.  A  proof  of  this  may  be  seen  in  the  character 
of  its  towns,  as  well  as  in  the  nature  of  the  improvements  that 
have  been  carried  on  in  the  country.  The  towns,  though  some  of 
them  had  an  earlier  existence  than  many  in  Ohio,  are,  in  point 
of  regularity,  style  of  building,  and  cleanliness,  far  inferior  to 
those  of  the  former  state.  The  wandering  spirit  of  the  inhabi- 
tants seems  still  to  contend  with  the  principle  of  steadiness  in  the 
very  construction  of  their  buildings.  They  are  mostly  a  rude 
set  of  people,  just  emerging  from  previous  bad  habits,  from  whom 
such  friendly  assistance  as  honest  neighbours  afford,  or  mutual 
intercourse  and  good  will,  can  hardly  be  expected.  The  case  is 
rather  different  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  and  on  the  Wabash, 
the  finest  part  of  the  state,  where  respectable  settlements  have 
been  formed  by  Americans  from  the  east.  Wherever  the  latter 
constitute  the  majority,  every  necessary  assistance  may  be 
expected. 

For  adventurers  of  all  descriptions,  Indiana  holds  out  allure- 
ments of  every  kind.  Numbers  of  Germans,  French,  and  Irish, 
are  scattered  in  the  towns,  and  over  the  country,  carrying  on  the 
business  of  bakers,  grocers,  store,  grog  shops,  and  tavern  keepers. 
In  time,  these  people  will  become  steady  from  necessity,  and  con- 
sequently prosperous.  The  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  Indiana 
amounts  to  215,000.  Its  admission  into  the  Union  as  a  sovereign 
state,  dates  from  the  jrear  1815  to  1816;  its  constitution  differs  in 
some  points  from  that  of  Ohio,  and  its  governor  is  elected  for  the 
term  of  three  years. 

Madison ville,  the  seat  of  justice  for  Jefferson-county,  on  the 
second  bank  of  the  Ohio,  fifty-seven  miles  above  its  falls,  contains 
at  present  180  dwelling-houses,  a  court-house,  four  stores,  three 
inns,  a  printing  office — with  800  inhabitants,  most  of  them  Ken- 
tuckians. The  innkeeper  of  the  tavern  at  which  I  alighted,  does 
no  credit  to  the  character  of  this  people.  He  was  engaged  for 
some  time  in  certain  bank-note  affairs,  which  qualified  him  for  an 


KARL  POSTEL.  525 

imprisonment  of  ten  years;  he  escaped,  however,  by  the  assistance 
of  his  legal  friends,  and  of  1000  dollars.  The  opportunity  of  tes- 
tifying his  gratitude  to  these  gentlemen  soon  presented  itself. 
One  of  his  neighbours,  a  boatman,  had  the  misfortune  to  possess 
a  wife  who  attracted  his  attention.  Her  husband  knowing  the 
temper  of  the  man,  resolved  to  sell  all  he  had,  and  to  move  down 
to  Louisville.  Some  days  before  his  intended  departure,  he  met 
Sheets  in  the  street,  and  addressed  him  in  these  words:  "Mr. 
Sheets,  I  ought  to  chastise  you  for  making  such  shameful  pro- 
posals to  my  wife:"  so  saying,  he  gently  touched  him  with  his 
cane.  Sheets,  without  uttering  a  syllable,  drew  his  poniard,  and 
stabbed  him  in  the  breast.  The  unfortunate  husband  fell, 
exclaiming,  "Oh,  God!  I  am  a-  dead  man!" — "Not  yet,"  said 
Sheets,  drawing  his  poniard  out  of  the  wound,  and  running  it  a 
second  time  through  his  heart;  "Now,  my  dear  fellow,  I  guess  we 
have  done."  This  monster  was  seized  and  imprisoned,  and  his 
trial  took  place.  His  countrymen  took,  as  might  be  expected,  a 
great  interest  in  his  fate.  With  the  assistance  of  3000  dollars,  he 
even  this  time  escaped  the  gallows.  I  read  the  issue  of  the  trial, 
and  the  summons  of  the  jury,  in  the  county  paper  of  1823,  which 
was  actually  handed  to  me  in  the  evening  by  one  of  the  guests. 
But  a  more  remarkable  circumstance  is,  that  the  inhabitants  con- 
tinue to  frequent  his  tavern.  At  first  they  stayed  away  for  some 
weeks;  but  in  less  than  a  month  the  affair  was  forgotten,  and  his 
house  is  now  visited  as  before. 

The  road  from  Madison  to  Charleston,  leads  through  a  fertile 
country,  in  some  parts  well  cultivated.  The  distance  from  Madi- 
son is  twenty-eight  miles.  It  is  the  chief  town  of  Clark  county, 
and  seems  to  advance  more  rapidly  than  Madison,  the  country 
about  being  prety  well  peopled,  and  agriculture  having  made 
more  progress  than  in  any  part  of  the  state  through  which  I  had 
travelled.  I  found  it  to  contain  170  houses  and  750  inhabitants, 
five  well  stored  tradesmen's  shops,  a  printing  office,  and  four  inns. 
The  town  is  about  a  mile  distant  from  the  river,  on  a  high  plain. 
When  I  arrived,  the  court  was  going  to  adjourn,  and  I  hastened 
to  the  court-house.  The  presiding  judge  and  his  two  associate 
judges  were  in  their  tribune,  and  the  parties  seated  on  boards 
laid  across  the  stumps  of  trees.  One  of  the  lawyers  having  con- 
cluded his  speech,  the  defendant  was  called  upon.  The  gentle- 
man in  question,  whom  I  took  for  a  pedlar,  stood  close  by  my  side 
in  conversation  with  his  party,  holding  in  his  hand  half  an  apple, 
his  teeth  having  taken  a  firm  bite  of  the  other  half.  At  the 


526  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

moment  his  name  was  called,  he  walked  with  his  mouth  full,  up 
to  the  rostrum,  and  kept  eating  his  apple  with  perfect  indiffer- 
ence. "Well,"  interrupted  the  judge  impatient  of  the  delay; 
"what  have  you  to  say  against  the  charge?  You  know  it  is  high 
time  to  break  up  the  court,  and  I  must  go  home."  The  gentle- 
man at  the  bar  now  pocketted  his  apple,  and  having  thus  aug- 
mented the  store  of  provision  which  he  probably  kept  by  him, 
looked  as  if  he  carried  two  knapsacks  behind  his  coat.  "It  strikes 
me  mightily" — was  the  exordium  of  this  speech,  which  in  point 
of  elegance  and  conciseness  was  a  true  sample  of  back-wood 
eloquence.  Fortunately  the  speaker  took  the  judge's  hint;  in  less 
than  half  an  hour  he  had  done — in  less  than  one  hour  the  jurymen 
returned  a  verdict,  the  county  transactions  were  finished,  and  the 
court  broke  up. 

From  Charleston  to  Louisville,  the  distance  is  fourteen  miles. 
The  lands  are  fertile.  Several  very  well  looking  farms  shew  a 
higher  degree  of  cultivation,  especially  near  Jeffersonville.  There 
the  road  turns  into  an  extensive  valley  formed  by  the  alluvions  of 
the  Ohio.  Jeffersonville,  the  seat  of  justice  for  Floyd-county, 
three  quarters  of  a  mile  above  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  was  laid  out 
in  1802,  and  has  since  increased  to  160  houses,  among  which  are 
a  bank,  a  Presbyterian  church,  a  warehouse,  a  cotton  manufac- 
tory, a  court-house,  and  an  academy,  with  a  land  office,  for  the 
disposal  of  the  United  States'  lands.  The  commerce  of  the 
inhabitants,  800  in  number,  is  of  some  importance,  though  checked 
by  the  vicinity  of  Louisville,  and  by  the  circumstance,  that  the 
falls  on  the  Indiana  side  are  not  to  be  approached,  except  at  the 
highest  rise.  Two  miles  below  this  town,  is  the  village  of  Clarks- 
ville,  laid  out  in  1783,  and  forming  part  of  the  grant  made  to 
officers  and  soldiers  of  the  Illinois  regiment.  It  contains  sixty 
houses  and  300  inhabitants.  New  Albany,  a  mile  below  Clarks- 
ville,  has  a  thousand  inhabitants,  and  a  great  deal  of  activity, 
owing  to  its  manufactory  of  steam  engines,  its  saw  mills  and  the 
steam  boats  lying  at  anchor  and  generally  repairing  there.  It  is 
a  place  of  importance,  and  though  hitherto  the  resort  of  sailors, 
boatmen,  and  travellers,  who  go  down  the  river  in  their  own  boats, 
it  is  annually  on  the  increase. 

The  Ohio  is  generally  crossed  above  the  falls  at  Jeffersonville. 
The  sheet  of  water  dammed  up  here  by  the  natural  ledge  of  rocks 
which  forms  the  falls,  expands  to  5,230  feet  in  breadth.  The  falls 
of  the  Ohio,  though  they  should  not  properly  be  called  falls,  can- 
not be  seen  when  crossing  the  river,  and  the  waters  do  not  pour 


KARL  POSTEL.  527 

like  the  falls  of  Niagara  over  an  horizontal  rock  down  a  consider- 
able depth,  but  press  through  a  rocky  bed,  about  a  mile  long, 
which  spreads  across  the  river,  and  causes  a  decline  of  twenty- 
two  feet  in  the  course  of  two  miles.  When  the  waters  are  high, 
the  rocks  and  the  falls  disappear  entirely.  Seen  from  Louisville 
at  low  water,  they  have  by  no  means. an  imposing  appearance. 
The  majestic  and  broad  river  branches  off  into  several  small 
creeks,  and  assumes  the  form  of  mountain  torrents  forcing  their 
way  through  the  ledge  of  rocks.  When  the  river  rises,  and  only 
three  islands  are  to  be  seen,  the  immense  sheet  of  water  rushing 
down  the  declivity  at  the  rate  of  thirteen  miles  an  hour,  must 
afford  a  magnificent  spectacle.  At  the  time  I  saw  it,  the  riyer 
was  lower  than  it  had  been  for  a  series  of  years. 

Troy,  the  seat  of  justice  for  Crawford  county,  in  Indiana,  was 
the  first  place  we  visited.  It  has  a  court-house,  a  printing-office, 
and  about  sixty  houses.  The  inhabitants  seem  rather  indolent. 
On  our  asking  for  apples,  they  demanded  ten  dollars  for  half  a 
barrel;  the  price  for  a  whole  one  in  Louisville  being  no  more  than 
three  dollars.  We  advised  them  to  keep  their  apples,  and  to 
plant  trees,  which  would. enable  them  to  raise  some  for  them- 
selves; and  to  put  panes  of  glass  in  their  windows,  instead  of  old 
newspapers.  The  surrounding  country  is  beautiful  and  fertile. 
Farms,  however,  become  more  scarce,  and  are  in  a  state  of  more 
primitive  simplicity.  A  block  cabin  not  unlike  a  stable,  with  as 
many  holes  as  there  are  logs  in  it,  patches  of  ground  planted  with 
tobacco,  sweet  potatoes,  and  some  corn,  are  the  sole  ornaments 
of  these  back-wood  mansions.  We  purchased,  below  Troy,  half 
a  young  bear,  at  the  rate  of  five  cents  per  pound.  Two  others 
which  were  skinned,  indicated  an  abundance  of  these  animals, 
and  more  application  to  the  sport  than  seems  compatible  with 
the  proper  cultivation  of  these  regions.  The  settlers  have  some- 
thing of  a  savage  appearance:  their  features  are  hard,  and  the 
tone  of  their  voice  denotes  a  violent  disposition.  Our  French- 
man was  bargaining  for  a  turkey,  with  the  farmer's  son,  an  ath- 
letic youth.  On  being  asked  three  dollars  for  it,  the  Frenchman 
turned  round  to  Mr.  B.,  saying:  "I  suppose  the  Kentuckians  take 
us  for  fools."  "What  do  you  say,  stranger,"  replied  the  youth, 
at  the  same  time  laying  his  heavy  hand  across  the  shoulders  of 
the  poor  Frenchman,  in  rather  a  rough  manner.  The  latter 
looked  as  if  thunderstruck,  and  retired  in  the  true  style  of  the 
Great  Nation,  when  they  get  a  sound  drubbing.  We  remarked 
on  his  return,  the  pains  he  took  to  repress  his  feelings  at  the 


528  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

coarseness  of  the  Kentuckians.  He  was,  however,  discreet  enough 
to  keep  his  peace,  and  he  did  very  well;  but  his  spirit  was  gone, 
and  he  never  afterwards  undertook  to  make  a  bargain,  except 
with  old  women,  for  a  pot  of  milk,  or  a  dozen  of  eggs,  &c. 

ABOUT  a  hundred  and  fifty  houses,  built  on  the  Swabian  plan, 
with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Rapp's  former  residence — a  handsome 
brick  house — presented  themselves  to  our  view.  We  were  intro- 
duced to  one  of  the  managers,  a  Mr.  Shnee,  formerly  a  Lutheran 
minister,  who  entered  very  soon  into  perticulars  respecting  Mr. 
Owen's  ulterior  views,  in  rather  a  pompous  manner.  This  set- 
tlement, which  is  about  thirty  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  big 
Wabash,  in  Indiana,  was  first  established  by  Rapp,  in  the  year 
1817,  and  was  now  (in  the  year  1823),  purchased  by  Mr.  Owen, 
of  Lanark,  for  the  sum  of  150,000  dollars.  The  society  is  to  be 
established  on  a  plan  rather  different  from  the  one  he  has  pursued 
in  Scotland,  and  on  a  larger  scale.  Mr.  Owen  has,  it  is  said,  the 
pecuniary  means  as  well  as  the  ability  to  effect  something  of  impor- 
tance. A  plan  was  shown  and  sold  to  us,  according  to  which  a 
new  building  of  colossal  dimensions  is  projected;  and  if  Mr.  Owen's 
means  should  not  fall  short  of  his  good  will,  this  edifice  would 
certainly  exhibit  the  most  magnificent  piece  of  architecture  in 
the  Union,  the  capitol  at  Washington  excepted.  This  palace, 
when  finished,  is  to  receive  his  community.  According  to  his 
views,  as  laid  down  in  his  publications,  in  the  lectures  held  by 
him  at  Washington  and  at  New  York,  and  as  stated  in  the  verbal 
communications  of  the  persons  who  represent  him,  he  is  about 
to  form  a  society,  unshackled  by  all  those  fetters  which  religion, 
education,  prejudices,  and  manners  have  imposed  upon  the 
human  species;  and  his  followers  will  exhibit  to  the  world  the 
novel  and  interesting  example  of  a  community,  which,  laying 
aside  every  form  of  worship  and  all  religious  belief  in  a  supreme 
being,  shall  be  capable  of  enjoying  the  highest  social  happiness 
by  no  other  means  than  the  impulse  of  innate  egotism.  It  has 
been  the  object  of  Mr.  Owen's  study  to  improve  this  egotism  in 
the  most  rational  manner,  and  to  bring  it  to  the  highest  degree 
of  perfection;  and  in  this  sense  he  has  published  the  Constitu- 
tion, which  is  to  be  adopted  by  the  community.  It  is  distributed, 
if  I  recollect  rightly,  into  three  subdivisions,  with  seventy  or 
more  articles. — Mechanics  of  every  description — people  who  have 
learned  any  useful  art, — are  admitted  into  this  community. 
Those  who  .pay  500  dollars,  are  free  from  any  obligation  to  work. 
The  time  of  the  members  is  divided  between  working,  reading, 


KARL  POSTEL.  529 

and  dancing.  A  ball  is  given  every  day,  and  is  regularly  attended 
by  the  community.  Divine  service,  or  worship  of  any  kind,  is 
entirely  excluded;  in  lieu  of  it,  moreover,  a  ball  is  given  on  Sun- 
day. The  children  are  summoned  to  school  by  beat  of  drum. 
A  newspaper  is  published,  chiefly  treating  of  their  own  affairs, 
and  of  the  entertainments  and  the  social  regulations  of  the  com- 
munity, amounting  to  about  500  members,  of  both  sexes,  com- 
posed almost  exclusively  of  adventurers  of  every  nation,  who 
expect  joyful  days.  The  settlement  has  not  improved  since  the 
purchase,  and  there  appeared  to  exist  the  greatest  disorder  and 
uncleanliness.  This  community  has  since  been  dissolved  as  was 
to  have  been  expected.  The  Scotchman  seems  to  have  a  very 
high  notion  of  the  power  of  egotism.  He  is  certainly  not  wrong 
in  this  point;  but  if  he  intends  to  give  still  greater  strength  to  a 
spirit  which  already  works  with  too  much  effect  in  the  Union,  it 
may  be  feared  that  he  will  soon  snap  the  cords  of  society  asunder. 
According  to  his  notions,  and  those  of  his  people,  all  the  legis- 
lators of  ancient  and  modern  times,  religious  as  well  as  political, 
were  either  fools  or  impostors,  who  went  in  quest  of  prosperity 
on  a  mistaken  principle,  which  he  is  now  about  to  correct.  Scotch- 
men, it  is  known,  are  sometimes  liable  to  adopt  strange  notions, 
in  which  they  always  deem  themselves  infallible.  I  am  acquainted 
with  an  honorable  president  of  the  quarter-sessions,  who,  as  a 
true  Swedenborghian,  is  fully  convinced  that  he  will  preside  again 
as  judge  in  the  other  world,  and  that  the  German  farmers  will  be 
there  the  same  fools  they  are  here,  who  he  may  continue  to  cheat 
out  of  their  property.  Great  Britain  has  no  cause  to  envy  the 
United  States  this  acquisition.  We  stayed  at  this  place  about 
two  hours,  crossed  the  Wabash,  and  took  the  road  to  Shawnee- 
town,  through  part  of  Mr.  Birkbeck's  settlement.  The  country 
is  highly  cultivated,  and  the  difference  between  the  steady  Eng- 
lishman of  the  Illinois  side,  and  the  rabble  of  Owen's 'Settlement, 
is  clearly  seen  in  the. style  and  character  of  the  improvements 
carried  on. 


T— 34 


From  Remarks  made  on  a  tour  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  1829, 
by  Caleb  Atwater  [1831],  p.  205. 

ATWATER,  CALEB. 

Caleb  Atwater  is  best  known  as  Ohio's  First  Historian.  He  was  one  of 
the  most  versatile  men  produced  in  the  old  northwest:  minister,  lawyer, 
educator,  legislator  and  antiquarian.  He  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1778, 
graduated  from  Williams  College,  came  west  when  thirty-seven  years  old, 
and  settled  in  Circleville,  Ohio.  Always  public  spirited,  he  supported  im- 
provements of  every  nature,  and  personally  urged  a  system  of  public  educa- 
tion. 

He  was  the  best  informed  man  of  his  age  on  western  antiquities  and 
archeology.  His  knowledge  extended  over  many  years  of  investigation 
made  from  New  York  to  the  Mississippi  River. 

In  May  1829,  President  Jackson  appointed  Atwater  as  one  of  the  three 
commissioners  to  treat  with  the  Winnebago  Indiana  on  the  uppt-r  Mississippi. 
While  on  this  trip,  Mr.  Atwater  kept  a  personal  diary  of  all  his  observations, 
and  from  these,  the  following  extracts  are  taken. 

VINCENNES 

Stands  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Wabash,  surrounded  by  fertile 
lands.  It  is  an  old  town,  for  the  western  country,  having  been 
settled  about  the  same  time  with  St.  Louis,  Rock  Island,  Prairie 
du  Chien,  and  Kaskaskia,  as  I  have'  already  stated  in  a  former 
page.  Vincennes  contains  more  than  fifteen  hundred  people, 
who  certainly  appear  very  well  to  a  stranger.  The  houses  were 
mostly  new  ones,  and  everything  I  saw  here  made  a  very  favorable 
impression.  I  tarried  at  CLARK'S  HOTEL,  and  take  a  pleasure  in 
recommending  the  house  to  other  travellers. 

Leaving  this  beautiful  town  in  the  stage  for  Louisville,  I 
reached  that  town  in  two  days.  The  first  twenty  miles  from 
Vincennes,  was  over  a  good  road  and  through  a  delightful  country 
—the  remainder  of  the  rout  was  over  as  undulating  a  surface  as 
I  ever  saw. 

Indiana  is  rapidly  setling  with  an  excellent  population.  The 
face  of  the  country  is  undergoing  a  change  in  its  external  appear- 
ance— the  forest  is  disappearing  before  the  industrious  husband- 
man— the  state  of  society,  considering  the  newness  of  the  country, 
is  good,  and  in  numbers,  wealth  and  improvements  of  all  kinds, 
Indiana  is  only  ten,  or  at  most,  only  about  twelve  years  behind 
Ohio.  Next  to  the  latter,  Indiana  is  most  rapidly  improving  of 

(630) 


CALEB  ATWATER.  531 

any  western  state,  at  this  moment.  To  any  one  emigrating  from 
the  Atlantic  states  westwardly,  though  Ohio  would  best  suit  him, 
in  all  respects,  yet  Indiana  is  decidedly  next  in  advantages  of  all 
sorts.  The  soil  and  climate  are  about  the  same  in  both  states — 
the  people  nearly  the  same,  and  their  interests,  feelings  and  views, 
precisely  the  same.  These  states  may  be  considered  as  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Maryland,  extended  from  the  Atlantic  ocean  to  the 
Wabash  river.  They  are  one  and  the  same  people,  and  so  may 
they  ever  act  and  feel  towards  each  other,  in  Congress — at  home 
and  abroad. 


From    Personal    Reminiscences    of   Charles   F.    Coffin,    of 
Wayne  County,  Indiana,  from  182J+  to  1833. 

COFFIN,  CHARLES  F. 

Charles  F.  Coffin  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1823.  He  was  brought 
by  his  parents  to  Wayne  County,  Indiana,  in  1824,  and  resided  in  that  county 
for  sixty  years.  He  died  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  August  9,  1916. 

He  was  a  man  of  unusual  ability.  For  twenty-seven  years  he  was 
Clerk  of  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting  of  Friends.  He  was  a  prominent  banker 
and  was  closely  associated  with  his  friend,  Governor  Oliver  P.  Morton,  in 
the  financial  affairs  of  the  state  during  the  Civil  War.  He  was  offered  the 
position  of  Commissioner  of  Indian  affairs  under  President  Grant,  and  after- 
ward Comptroller  of  Currenc3%  but  he  declined  both.  He  was  a  pioneer  in 
prison  reform  and  was  one  of  the  originators  of  the  Woman's  Prison  of 
Indiana. 

He  possessed  a  very  clear,  accurate,  historical  mind,  and  wrote  a  number 
of.  valuable  historical  articles  pertaining  to  local  history. 

I  was  brought  by  my  parents  to  Wayne  County  in  1824.  As 
I  was  only  one  year  old,  of  course  I  can  give  no  personal  recollec- 
tions at  that  early  date,  but  I  have  a  very  distinct  recollection 
of  the  latter  part  of  this  period  mentioned  in  this  letter. 

The  County  was  comparatively  new,  although  settlements 
had  been  made  in  most  parts  of  it  and  in  some  places  for  a  good 
many  years.  There  was  a  large  emigration  from  North  and  South 
Carolina,  especially  of  Friends,  who  settled  in  different  parts  of 
the  County.  The  main  body  of  them  at  Richmond  and  immedi- 
ate vicinity;  others  at  Fountain  City  in  the  north  part  of  the 
County;  others  at  Economy  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  County 
and  others  in  the  neighborhood  of  Milton  in  the  west  part  of  the 
County  and  a  few  in  the  vicinity  of  Centerville  in  the  central  part 
of  the  County.  Large  improvements  were  made  at  all  these 
places.  There  was  also  considerable  emigration  from  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee  which  settled  principally  in  the  southeast  and 
central  parts  of  the  county.  Very  few  New  England  or  Eastern 
people  were  amongst  these  early  emigrants.  The  country  in  my 
first  recollections  was  still  thickly  wooded  except  small  clearings 
around  each  homestead  and  the  woods  were  grown  up  with  under- 
brush and  vines  of  various  kinds. 

The  wild  animals  had  principally  been  exterminated  before 
my  recollection  and  there  were  no  Indians  in  the  County.  Some 
of  them  frequently  visited  the  county  in  the  earliest  settlements, 

(532) 


CHARLES  F.  COFFIN.  533 

but  it  is  not  known  that  any  of  them  ever  permanently  resided 
within  its  limits.  The  houses  of  the  new  settlers  were  of  their 
own  build; — at  first  Cabins,  succeeded  then  by  small  hewed  log 
houses  interspersed  occasionally  with  cheap  frame  buildings  which 
ultimately  took  the  place  of  the  others.  The  streams  were  nearly 
double  the  size  that  they  are  at  present,  during  most  of  the  year, 
large  reservoirs  of  water  in  the  woods  and  swamps  furnishing  a 
continued  supply  to  keep  their  volume  up.  The  clearing  up  of 
the  country  has  caused  great  change  in  this  respect  and  reduced 
the  size  of  the  streams  most  of  the  year,  but  causes  them  to  swell 
very  largely  during  freshets  and  heavy  rains.  The  first  settlers 
had  very  few  comforts  and  lived  in  an  exceedingly  rough  and 
simple  way,  mostly  upon  Hog  and  Hominy  and  upon  corn  bread, 
as  corn  was  raised  the  first  thing  after  the  clearing  of  a  piece  of 
ground.  Along  all  the  streams  were  soon  built  small  mills  which 
supplied  the  local  demands  of  the  community  and  also  saw  mills 
which  furnished  lumber  for  improvements.  There  was  a  vast 
amount  of  fine  walnut  timber,  especially  in  the  bottom  of  the 
west  fork  of  Whitewater  River,  where  my  father  first  settled,  near 
what  is  now  the  town  of  Milton.  This  timber  was  used  lavishly 
because  it  was  easily  split  into  rails  and  greatly  wasted.  In  sub- 
sequent years  it  became  exceedingly  valuable  and  every  remain- 
ing tree  was  carefully  protected  until  a  market  was  found  for  it. 
The  early  settler  was  generally  of  the  younger  and  vigorous  class 
of  people,  but  there  was  much  sickness;  chills  and  fever  and 
severe  fevers  prevailed,  especially  along  the  water  courses. 
There  are  no  records  of  the  mortality  but  there  is  no  doubt  that 
it  was  very  great  and  in  many  instances  great  suffering  ensued 
from  the  want  of  proper  medical  treatment  and  care  and  of  proper 
food.  I  remember  well  of  hearing  my  Father  speak  of  a  severe 
attack  of  fever  which  he  had  when  living  in  a  cabin  on  the  bank 
of  the  West  Fork  of  the  Whitewater  River  which  came  very 
nearly  taking  his  life,  and  the  great  difficulty  experienced  by  my 
Mother  when  recovery  commenced  in  getting  anything  suitable 
for  a  fever  patient  to  eat.  The  difficulty  connected  with  the 
terrific  labor  involved  in  clearing  the  trees  from  a  new  country 
and  opening  farms  was  vigorously  and  cheerfully  met  by  the  set- 
tlers. Great  personal  kindness  abounded;  they  assisted  each 
other  in  every  way  possible.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  traveling 
through  the  community  of  persons  out  in  search  of  homes.  Hotels 
were  not  much  known  and  every  private  house  was  opened  freely 
to  the  traveler.  There  was  no  roads  except  as  trees  were  cut 


534  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

away  by  the  first  settlers.  The  streams  were  unbridged  and 
often  impassable,  always  during  a  freshet  and  as  the  roads  were 
largely  shaded  they  remained  wet  a  great  deal  of  the  years  and 
became  almost  impassable  at  times — a  large  proportion  of  that 
time  they  were  muddy  and  disagreeable  to  travel  over.  There 
were  very  few,  if  any  carriages  in  the  county  in  these  days.  The 
people  rode  on  horseback  mostly,  or  in  their  wagons.  During 
the  latter  part  of  the  time  the  comforts  of  the  community 
increased,  farms  became  better  opened  and  roads  were  somewhat 
improved  though  still  very  bad.  Merchants  established  little 
stores  at  various  points  where  they  kept  a  few  drygoods  and 
groceries.  Some  of  the  towns  had  commenced  growing  and 
improvements  were  increasing  in  them.  A  few  brick  houses  were 
erected  but  not  many  until  after  the  period  mentioned.  All  of 
the  groceries  and  drygoods  used  had  to  be  hauled  in  wagons  from 
Cincinnati,  a  distance  of  60  to  70  miles  and  large  four  horse 
wagons  passed  over  the  route  frequently  occupying  three  or  four 
four  days  in  the  passage.  Salt  and  other  necessaries  were  brought 
in  the  same  way.  Products  of  the  farms  were  driven  to  market, 
such  as  hogs,  cattle  etc.  Cincinnati  was  the  great  commercial 
point  of  the  whole  country.  Orchards  had  been  planted  and  in 
many  places  were  bearing  fine  crops  of  fruit,  especially  of  apples. 
The  fresh  virgin  soil  produced  a  very  fine  article  of  fruit. 

There  were  but  few  schools  and  no  general  public  school  sys- 
tem. A  teacher  was  employed  for  three  months  of  the  year  and 
such  children  as  could  be  spared  from  home  were  sent  to  him. 
They  were  of  a  primitive  kind  and  not  of  the  highest  type  but 
very  useful  in  their  results.  In  the  neighborhood  of  Friends  it 
was  made  a  special  point  to  open  what  was  called  "A  Friend's 
School,"  and  they  were  kept  at  all  the  meeting  places  in  the 
county.  There  were  different  religious  denominations  which 
mostly  located  by  a  kind  of  natural  affinity  near  to  each  other, 
Methodist,  Baptist,  Presbyterian  etc.  The  pioneer  preachers  of 
the  county,  however,  were  Methodists  who  spread  over  the 
whole  land.  They  traveled  on  horseback  and  lived  with  the 
people  in  their  method  of  life  and  were  indefatigable  in  establish- 
ing churches  and  elevating  the  people.  Their  influence  was 
exceedingly  good.  In  other  places  where  there  were  no  special 
religious  influences  there  grew  up  a  class  of  people  who  disre- 
garded the  Sabbath,  attended  no  place  of  worship  and  their 
children  mostly  became  a  very  undesirable  part  of  the  community. 


CHARLES  F.  COFFIN.  535 

The  mails  were  carried  first  on  horseback,  then  in  small 
wagons  or  carriages,  during  the  muddy  season  of  the  year  were 
taken  with  great  difficulty  through  the  land.  Postage  was  from 
six  and  one-quarter  cents  to  twenty-five  counted  in  Spanish  coin 
which  was  the  current  coin  of  the  country  at  the  time,  namely, 
6j,  12|  and  25  cents.  But  money  was  exceedingly  scarce 
and  the  settlers  managed  to  do  with  a  great  deal  less  than  would 
be  possible  at  the  present  time. 


From.  Diary  and  Recollections  of  Victor  Colin  Duclos. 
Copied  from  the  original  manuscript  by  Mrs.  Nora 
C.  Fretageot,  New  Harmony,  Ind. 

DUCLOS,  VICTOR  COLIN. 

Mr.  Duclos  came  from  France  in  1823  at  the  age  of  five.  In  his  recol- 
lections he  describes  his  attendance  at  William  Maclure's  school  in  Phila- 
delphia, the  visit  of  Lafayette,  and  his  departure  for  New  Harmony  to  join 
the  Owen  colony  in  1825.  From  Pittsburgh  to  Mt.  Vernon,  Ind.,  the  trip 
was  made  by  the  Ohio  River  and  the  company  is  known  as  the  "Boat  load 
of  knowledge."  The  passenger  list  included  the  names  of  Thomas  Say, 
Charles  A.  Lesueur,  Robert  Dale  Owen,  Gerald  Troost,  Joseph  Neff  and 
Madame  Fretageot.  The  account  of  New  Harmony  life  is  brought  down 
to  the  year  1834. 

I  am  a  native  of  France  and  was  born  in  Paris,  May  22,  1818. 
I  left  there  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1823  with  my  aunt, 
Madam  Marie  D.  Fretageot,  to  attend  a  School  of  Industry 
established  by  Mr.  William  Maclure  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.  We 
started  from  Havre  in  a  sailing  vessel  in  March,  1823,  and  were 
six  weeks  on  the  voyage.  On  board  this  vessel,  who  intended 
to  make  this  school  their  home,  were  Madam  Fretageot,  her  son 
Achilles  E.  Fretageot,  a  Swiss  named  Balthazar,  Charles  A. 
Lesueur,  two  French  students,  my  brother,  Peter  L.  Duclos, 
myself  and  several  others.  We  arrived  in  New  York  in  May, 
and  went  to  Philadelphia  in  June.  The  school  house  was  situ- 
ated on  the  Schuylkill  road  about  one  mile  from  the  city.  It  was 
a  large  fine  brick  building  with  a  very  large  arched  door  in  the 
centre.  Surrounding  the  school  building,  were  the  most  beau- 
tiful pleasure  ground  immaginable.  This  was  William  Maclure's 
"School  of  Industry." 

In  the  year  1824,  while  at  this  school  in  Philadelphia,  General 
Lafayette  made  his  last  visit  to  the  United  States.  He  visited 
our  school,  and  in  his  review,  all  of  us  marched  in  single  file  in 
front  of  him,  and  he  gently  laid  his  hand  on  our  heads  and  told 
us  to  be  good  boys.  General  Lafayette  was  a  man  about  5  ft. 
9  in.  in  highth  and  spare  built.  His  hair  was  long  and  very  gray. 
He  wore  a  black  broadcloth  frock  coat.  .  If  the  Almighty  God 
should  have  dropped  into  the  city  at  that  time  he  could  not  have 
been  more  highly  worshipped  than  was  General  Lafayette.  This 

(536) 


VICTOR  COLIN  DUCLOS.  537 

was  about  76  years  ago,  and  I  imagine  that  I  can  to  this  day 
feel  the  gentle  tap  on  my  head  from  that  noble  man. 

In  the  year  1824,  Mr.  Robert  Owen,  a  gentleman  from  Scot- 
land, purchased  all  of  the  interests  of  the  Rapp  Society  in  Posey 
County,  Indiana,  including  the  town  of  Harmonic  where  he,  in 
a  short  time,  founded  the  noted  Owen  Community.  Somewhat 
later  than  this,  William  Maclure  bought  an  interest  in  the  prop- 
erty and  concluded  to  remove  his  School  of  Industry  to  New  Har- 
mony from  Philadelphia.  Therefore  the  early  part  of  the  year 
1825  was  occupied  in  building  a  large  keel  boat  at  Pittsburgh, 
Pa.  This  boat  being  well  fitted  with  rooms  and  otherwise  properly 
arranged  for  the  comfort  of  the  passengers  and  crew,  we  moved 
to  Pittsburgh  by  means  of  wagons  and  carriages.  The  boat  con- 
tained the  leading  members  of  talent  of  the  school,  and  was 
therefore  styled  the  Boat  load  of  knowledge,  and  named  the 
Philanthropist. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  1825  we  started  from  Pittsburgh  down 
the  Ohio  River  to  Mt  Vernon,  Ind.  from  thence  to  New  Har- 
mony. As  well  as  I  can  remember  the  names  of  those  on  the 
boat,  with  incidental  remarks  concerning  them,  are  about  as 
follows  :• — 

Madam  Fretageot  and  son,  A.  E.  Fretageot,  Allan  Ward, 
Mark  Penrose,  Phiquepal  d'  Arusmont— who  afterwards  married 
Francer  Wright — Charles  A.  Lesueur,  artist  and  naturalist, 
Thomas  Say,  naturalist,  M.  Chase,  chemist,  Mrs  Chase,  artist 
and  musician,  Cornelius  Tiebout,  artist  and  engra_yer,  Miss  Lucy 
Sistaire,  and  two  sisters — Miss  Lucy  afterwards  married  Thomas 
Say — Virginia  Dupalais  and  her  brother,  John  Beal,  wife  and 
daughter  Caroline- — baby — William  Maclure,  Captain  McDonald 
of  the  Isles,  Balthazar,  a  Swiss,  Charles  Falque,  Amedie  Dufour, 
Peter  L.  Duclos,  Victor  C.  Duclos,  Miss  Tiebout,  age  10, — last 
five  pupils  of  Phiquepal — Mr.  Speakman  and  family,  Robert 
Dale  Owen,  Gerard  Troost,  chemist  and  geologist,  Robert  Owen 
came  part  way  with  them.  Mme.  Fretageot  was  employed  by 
Mr.  Maclure  to  superintend  the  school,  while  the  scientific  gen- 
tlemen and  some  of  the  others  were  professors  in  the  new  School 
of  Industry  he  was  to  establish  at  New  Harmony 

Cincinnati  was  the  first  place  of  importance  at  which  we 
landed.  There  was  at  that  time  very  few  buildings  between 
3d  street  and  the  river.  We  traveled  very  slowly  for  the  reason 
that  we  did  not  run  the  boat  nights,  and  many  delays  were  occa- 
sioned by  the  wind  being  too  high  for  our  boat  to  be  handled. 


538  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

During  the  trip  while  the  boat  was  thus  delayed,  many  of  the 
party  would  spend  their  time  in  hunting,  fishing  and  in  scientific 
investigations.  Fish  and  game  abounded,  so  that  a  large  portion 
of  our  subsistance  was  derived  from  these  sources. 

On  reaching  Louisville  the  weather  was  very  windy  and  cold. 
Here  we  stopped  for  some  time  in  order  to  find  a  "Falls  pilot",  to 
buy  provisions,  etc.  In  passing  over  the  Falls  we  had  a  narrow 
escape  from  wrecking  the  boat.  Soon  after  leaving  Louisville, 
the  ice  came  rushing  down  the  river  and  pushed  the  boat  out  into 
the  woods.  Here  we  were  compelled  to  stay  three  or  four  weeks. 
One  of  our  party  while  out  hunting  broke  his  leg  by  falling  off  a 
rail  fence,  and  two  of  the  French  students  broke  through  the  ice 
while  skating  and  came  near  drowning.  As  soon  as  possible  after 
the  ice  broke  up,  we  launched  our  boat  and  continued  our  journey. 

About  the  middle  of  January,  1826,  we  arrived  at  Evansville. 
At  that  time  it  was  but  little  more  than  a  flat-boat  landing,  the 
settlement  consisting  of  a  few  small  log  cabins.  On  our  arrival 
at  Mt  Vernon  about  the  last  week  in  January,  1826,  we  were 
transferred  by  wagons.  Thus  we  finally  reached  our  destination 
on  the  scene  of  the  former  home  of  the  Rapp  Society,  the  home 
of  the  new  Owen  Community,  and  the  location  of  our  new  School 
of  Industry. 

To  give  some  idea  of  the  value  and  importance  of  the  property 
belonging  to  the  Rapp  Society  previous  to  the  sale  of  Mr.  Robert 
Owen,  it  is  necessary  to  describe  in  detail  the  territory  and  the 
great  amount  of  improvements,  in  building  and  in  the  productive 
and  manufacturing  interests  of  the  society  in  the  town  and 
vacinity.  During  their  occupancy,  considering  the  short  time  in 
which  this  vast  amount  of  work  was  performed  the  results  were 
remarkable.  Coming  in  1814  and  removing  in  1824-5,  begin- 
ning in  the  unbroken  forest,  in  the  short  space  of  ten  years  they 
cleared  about  4000  acres  of  land,  built  the  town,  containing  com- 
fortable homes  of  brick  and  frame,  large  granaries  of  wood  and 
stone,  oil  mills,  grist  mills,  sawmills,  distilleries,  and  factories  for 
the  various  branches  of  manufactures  they  engaged  in. 

The  property  consisted  of  about  3,000  acres  of  land  surround- 
ing and  including  the  town  site.  This  being  on  what  is  called 
the  second  bottom,  a  narrow  strip  of  lower  land  between  it  and 
the  river  and  stretching  out  into  a  wide  low  valley  to  the  north, 
a  range  of  hills  on  the  south  and  east,  and  the  low  land  of  the 
Cut-off  River  to  the  west.  Judging  from  the  location  of  the 
principal  buildings,  the  town  was  laid  off  in  the  form  of  a  square, 


VICTOR  COLIN  DUCLOS.  539 

bordered  by  North,  South,  East  and  West  Streets.  The  Main 
Street  extended  from  the  entrance  of  the  Mt.  Vernon  wagon  road 
to  the  foot  of  the  hills  north  to  North  Street,  with  a  wagon  road 
from  thence  to  the  ferry  landing  on  the  Wabash  River.  One 
square  west  of  Main  Street  was  west  Street,  and  to  the  east  were 
Brewery  and  East  Streets.  The  principal  street  leading  east  and 
west  was  Church  Street,  connecting  on  the  east  with  the  wagon 
road  leading  to  Princeton  and  Evansville.  North  of  Church 
were  Granary  and  North  Streets,  to  the  south,  Tavern,  Steam 
Mill,  and  South  Streets.  The  streets  were  named  from  the  loca- 
tions and  after  the  buildings  situated  thereon.  Thus  Church  St. 
from  the  old  German  Church,  the  old  Fort  or  granary  gave  its 
name  to  Granary  St.  Brewer}'  St.  from  the  brewery,  and  so  on. 

In  the  town  and  surrounding  suburbs  there  were  a  great  many 
rudely  constructed  log  cabins  which  were  the  homes  of  these 
industrious  people  in  the  first  years  of  the  settlement,  many 
without  floors  and  undoubtedly  built  for  temporary  use  while 
the  more  substantial  buildings  were  being  erected.  In  the  town 
limits  were  constructed  about  twenty  substantial  two  story  brick 
buildings,  which  with  a  few  exceptions  were  built  east  and  west 
on  the  corners  of  the  blocks.  There  were  about  the  same  number 
of  frame  buildings  two  stories  in  heighth.  The  dwelling  houses 
both  frame  and  brick  were  built  after  the  same  design  with  the 
door  opening  into  the  yard,  the  houses  being  on  the  line  of  the 
streets,  making  the  corners  of  the  blocks.  Most  of  the  houses 
are  still  in  use  though  the  majority  have  been  remodeled. 

On  the  west  of  Brewery,  between  Church  and  Granary  Sts. 
was  a  one  story  frame  building  about  30  x  60  ft.  which  was 
used  as  a  hospital,  now  in  use  as  a  warehouse.  On  the  north 
west  corner  of  Main  and  Tavern  streets  was  the  Kapp  Tavern, 
a  two  story  frame  about  30  x  60  ft  fronting  on  Main  Street. 
In  the  rear  of  this  on  Tavern  Street  was  a  two  story  brick  of 
about  the  same  dimensions.  On  the  north  of  the  brick  was  a 
large  double  porch  in  which  was  located  the  stairway  for  both 
buildings.  In  after  years  this  property  was  used  for  many  pur- 
poses .and  was  known  as  the  ''White  House/'  the  upper  and  rear 
parts  being  used  as  a  tenament  house,  now  known  as  the  Monitor 
Saloon,  but  in  the  early  history  of  the  town  it  was  called  the 
"Yellow  Tavern".  (Burned  Aug.  1908) 

Within  the  block  east  of  Main  and  between  Tavern  and  Church 
Sts.  was  a  two  story  brick  about  40  x  60  ft.  built  east  and  west, 
and  within  the  block  south  of  this  was  a  building  about  30  x  40 


540  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

(still  in  use.  1902),  the  first  story  of  stone,  the  second  of  brick. 
On  the  corner  of  Church  and  Brewery  Sts.  was  a  large  frame 
livery  stable.  On  the  south  east  corner  of  Main  and  Church 
Sts.  was  a  pit  for  whip-sawing  the  lumber  first  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  buildings.  These  buildings  were  mostly  used  as 
dwellings  for  single  families. 

For  school  buildings  the  larger  buildings  were  used.  In 
reference  to  a  class  of  buildings  of  special  note  that  were  num- 
bered from  1  to  5,  it  is  not  definitely  known  what  purpose  they 
were  constructed  for.  A  study  of  position  and  internal  arrange- 
ment, surroundings,  etc.  will  offer  some  suggestions  as  to  their  use. 

No.  1  stood  east  of  West  Street  on  the  corner  of  West  and 
Steam  Mill  Streets  (N.E.)  was  a  two  story  brick  about  40  x  70 
ft.  with  a  hallway  on  both  floors,  the  whole  length  of  the  build- 
ing. Contained  sixteen  large  rooms. 

No.  2,  on  the  east  side  of  Main  between  Church  and  Granary 
Str.  was  a  three  story  brick  40  x  70  ft.  with  a  kind  of  mansard 
roof,  two  "stories  of  brick  and  the  third  formed  by  the  mansard 
roof.  The  entrance  was  on  an  alley  opening  into  a  hall  extending 
from  end  to  end,  with  rooms  on  both  sides  in  each  story  opening 
into  the  hallways.  East  of  this  was  a  large  building  used  for  a 
kitchen. 

No.  3  was  situated  about  the  center  of  the  block  on  the  south 
side  of  Church,  between  Main  and  Brewery  Sts.  similar  in  size 
and  construction  to  No.  1.  It  is  built  off  the  line  of  the  street 
about  ten  feet.  Runs  north  and  south,  the  entrance  on  Church 
Street. 

No.  4,  same  as  No.  1-3,  on  Church  Street,  North  side  between 
brewery  and  East  Street. 

No.  5  was  the  home  of  George  Rapp,  the  founder  of  the 
society.  It  was  located  on  the  Northwest  corner  of  Church  and 
Main  Streets,  about  30  feet  back  from  both  streets.  It  was  of 
brick,  two  stories  in  highth,  with  a  one  story  ell  on  the  west. 
The  foundation  was  about  four  feet  in  highth,  of  dressed  sand- 
stone. A  porch  or  verandah  extended  the  whole  length  on  the 
south  and  east  sides,  with  large  stone  steps  to  each  entrance. 
On  each  floor  there  were  large  halls  leading  east  and  west.  This 
building  was  destroyed  by  fire  about  the  year  1842,  (1844), 
supposed  to  have  been  the  work  of  an  incendiary. 

A  few  feet  north  of  No.  5  was  a  large  oak  tree.  Tradition 
tells  us  that  this  spot  was  the  camping  ground  of  those  members 
of  the  society  who  were  the  first  to  spend  the  night  in  this  locality, 


VICTOR  COLIN  DUCLOS.  541 

and  ever  after  during  their  residence  here,  it  was  a  favorite  spot 
for  the  society  band  to  meet  and  discourse  sweet  music. 

The  place  of  worship  during  the  last  few  years  of  their  resi- 
dence here  was  a  building  constructed  from  plans  of  George  Rapp 
and  conceived  by  him  in  a  dream.  This  was  a  two  story  brick 
building  constructed  in  the  year  1822,  but  the  internal  arrange- 
ment was  never  carried  out.  It  stood  on  the  northwest  part  of  the 
block  on  Church  Street  between  Main  and  West  Streets.  It  was 
planned  so  that  the  interior  at  the  pulpit  represented  a  large  cross. 
The  dimensions  of  the  centre  square  was  about  40  feet,  and  each 
wing  the  same.  (Mr.  Dransfield  has  written  in  parenthesis 
"This  is  not  exact  as  the  wings  were  50  feet  in  width,  and  the 
interior  square  was  about  70  feet  each  way.")  The  centre  roof 
was  supported  by  four  columns  about  eighteen  inches  in  diameter 
and  twenty-five  feet  in  highth  (really  two  feet  in  diameter),  each 
turned  by  hand  from  one  stick  of  timber,  of  cherry,  poplar,  or 
walnut.  These  columns  stood  on  a  large  moulded  base  of  the 
same  wood,  about  forty  feet  in  highth  from  the  foundation.  In 
the  centre  of  the  building  was  a  large  dome,  encircling  which  was 
a  balcony  at  times  used  as  a  band  stand.  The  entrances  to  each 
wing  were  large  stone  foundations  with  the  semi-circular  stone 
steps.  The  second  and  third  steps  were  moulded  on  the  edge. 
The  north  door,  which  was  the  principal  entrance,  was  of  cherry. 
The  doorway  was  of  carved  stone  capped  by  a  cornice  terminat- 
ing in  a  gable  in  the  panel  of  which  was  carved  a  rose,  gilded, 
with  a  reference  to  it  taken  from  the  Bible,  carved  in  the  stone. 
The  other  doorways  were  also  of  stone  but  more  simply  finished. 

The  old  church  built  about  1815  stood  east  of  this  on  the  same 
lot  and  was  a  two  story  frame  with  six  large  arched  windows  on 
the  sides,  and  two  in  the  end,  with  round  windows  in  the  gables. 
A  belfry  20  x  20  feet  and  20  feet  above  the  roof  was  built  on 
the  east  end.  This  had  large  slatted  windows  in  each  side  and 
contained  one  large  and  one  small  bell.  A  clock  room,  hexagonal 
in  shape  was  built  above  the  belfry.  On  the  northeast  of  this 
was  a  clock  face  about  eight  feet  in  diameter,  and  a  similar  one 
on  the  southeast.  Within  this  room  was  a  clock  gearing  occupy- 
ing a  space  of  about  six  (ft?)  square  and  the  same  in  highth. 
This  was  arranged  to  strike  the  hours  on  the  large  bell  and  the 
small  bell  to  note  the  quarter  hours.  These  bells  could  be  heard 
a  distance  of  seven  miles,  and  were  the  two  finest  ones  in  the 
state  at  that  time,  (went  to  Concinnati).  The  church  steeple 
was  built  above  the  belfry. 


542  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

As  a  protection  against  Indians  and  known  as  the  Fort  was 
a  building  40  x  70  feet  south  of  Granary  between  Main  and 
West  Streets.  The  first  story  was  of  rough  stone,  the  walls  about 
two  feet  in  thickness  with  six  port  holes  on  either  side  and  two  on 
each  end.  The  windows  were  barred  with  iron.  The  second  and 
third  stories  were  of  brick.  The  two  lower  floors  were  laid  with 
tile  about  nine  inches  square,  probably  with  the  object  of  pre- 
venting them  being  fired  from  the  outside.  The  third  story  in 
the  attic  was  floored  with  wood.  The  roof  was  what  is  known 
as  a  hipped  roof  and  was  very  strongly  built  and  covered  with 
large  tiles  7  x  12  inches,  with  hooks  on  the  under  side  to  lap 
over  the  lathing.  There  were  three  doorways,  one  on  the  north, 
south  and  east.  The  doors  were  very  thick  and  strong  and  were 
securely  fastened  by  enormous  locks,  and  also  barred  as  an  addi- 
tional security.  At  the  south  end  of  this  was  a  kitchen  with  a 
subterranean  passage  way  connecting  the  cellar  with  the  interior 
of  the  Fort.  But  this  has  never  been  substantiated.  (There  was 
no  cellar  to  this  building,  but  when  it  was  torn  down  to  build  the 
"new  laboratory",  a  small  arched  chamber  about  six  feet  wide 
and  eight  feet  long  was  found.) 

On  the  same  block,  fronting  on  Church  Street  was  a  green- 
house about  20  x  40  feet,  supported  on  rollers  with  lower 
foundation  timbers  twice  the  width  of  the  house.  On  these  were 
rails  on  which  the  grooved  rollers  travelled,  allowing  the  build- 
ing to  be  moved  back  and  forth.  In  each  side  of  the  house  was 
a  liberal  supply  of  glass  windows,  and  the  room  was  heated  with 
the  old  style  of  tinplate  stoves.  Within  this  house  were  grown 
many  kinds  of  tropical  fruits,  flowers,  ferns,  etc. 

Within  the  same  block  and  west  of  this  was  a  press  house,  a 
one  story  frame  about  30  x  36  feet.  Here  was  located  the 
cider  and  wine  press,  a  large  wooden  screw  with  a  large  lever  to 
operate  it.  The  apples  were  reduced  to  pulp  by  a  large  circular 
stone  pivoted  in  the  centre.  This  stone  was  twelve  inches  in 
thickness  and  about  six  feet  in  diameter.  It  was  revolved  on  a 
shaft  and  travelled  in  a  circle  probably  twenty  feet  in  diameter 
in  a  stone  trough,  in  this  the  apples  are  shovelled  and  crushed  by 
the  revolving  stone  until  in  condition  for  the  press. 

The  brickyard  was  at  about  the  distance  of  two  blocks  south 
of  South  Street  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mt.  Vernon  road  near 
where  Murphy  Park  is  located. 

West  of  this  was  the  rope  walk,  west  side  of  the  road.  This 
was  not  enclosed  except  to  protect  the  machinery.  Southwest 


VICTOR  COLIX  DUCLOS.  543 

of  this  and  to  the  north  of  the  road,  leading  to  the  Cutoff  River 
was  their  Labyrinth.  Within  a  circle  of  about  140  feet  in  diam- 
eter there  were  formed  concentric  circles  with  growth  of  hedge 
plants,  presenting  an  intricate  pathway  leading  to  a  small  block 
house  in  the  centre.  The  house  was  built  of  blocks  of  wood 
about  twelve  inches  long  pointed  at  one  end.  These  were  placed 
with  the  pointed  ends  outward  to  form  a  circular  wall.  The 
arrangement  was  such  that  it  was  almost  impossible  for  anyone 
not  accustomed  to  the  construction  to  find  their  way  to  the  build- 
ing or  to  its  interior. 

At  the  northwest  intersection  of  Brewery  and  North  Streets 
was  a  frame  building  used  for  a  brewery.  In  connection  with 
this  was  a  tread  wheel  built  on  a  platform  about  twelve  feet 
high.  Within  the  wheel  a  dog  or  other  small  animal  was  used 
to  furnish  power  to  pump  water. 

On  the  south  side  of  Steam  Mill  Street  between  Brewery  and 
East  Streets  were  two  frame  buildings  about  40  x  45  feet, 
three  stories  high.  The  one  to  the  west  was  used  for  a  cotton 
mill,  the  other  as  a  store  house.  The  cotton  mill  was  driven  by 
steam  power  and  contained  a  complete  outfit  of  cotton  manu- 
facturing machinery.  The  mill  was  operated  after  the  Germans 
left  until  destroj'ed  by  fire  in  1826. 

East  of  East  Street  between  Tavern  and  Steam  Mill  Streets 
were  two  large  three  story  frame  hip-roofed  granaries  about 
50  x  80  feet.  In  the  attic  of  one  of  them  was  a  large  tread 
wheel  about  fourteen  feet  in  diameter  in  which  cattle  or  other 
heavy  animals  were  used  to  create  power  for  elevating  grain. 

Other  buildings  used  for  warehouses,  etc.  were  located  in 
different  parts  of  the  town.  About  forty  acres  of  land  west  and 
south  of  the  town  were  planted  in  orchards  (nearer  sixty)  and 
vinyards.  On  the  hills  east  of  the  Mt  Vernon  road  was  a  large 
vinyard  of  about  eighteen  acres,  and  east  of  this  large  orchards. 
The  sight  of  these  orchards  was  enough  to  impress  the  mind  of 
anyone  of  the  ability  and  industry  of  this  remarkable  society. 

South  of  the  Labyrinth  was  a  large  locust  grove.  East  of  the 
Mt  Vernon  road  were  a  number  of  log  cabins.  To  the  west  of 
the  road  but  on  the  hills  were  many  black  locust  trees  evidently 
set  out  to  supply  material  for  fence  posts. 

On  my  arrival  here  the  only  flouring  mill  in  this  locality  was 
the  one  built  by  the  Germans  on  the  east  bank  and  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Cut-off.  River  about  two  miles  southwest  of  town. 
The  building  was  a  three  story  frame.  It  was  run  by  water  power, 


544  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

containing  four  run  of  stones.  About  two  miles  southeast  of 
town,  located  on  Gresham  Creek  was  an  oil  mill  driven  by  water 
power.  There  was  also  a  distillery  on  the  same  stream  below 
and  north  of  the  Princeton  road.  Near  this  and  east  of  the  Creek 
were  many  log  cabins.  This  was  Community  No.  2.  No.  3  was 
west  of  the  Creek  at  the  foot  of  the  hills. 

When  we  arrived  the  scholars  of  the  Maclore  school  went  to 
the  Neef  boarding  school  in  No.  2  until  No.  5  was  prepared  for 
them.  Then  Madam  Fretageot  assumed  controll  as  superin- 
tendent. In  the  No.  5  building  painting,  drawing,  engraving 
and  type-setting  along  with  the  common  branches  were  taught. 
The  painting  and  engraving  department  was  in  the  assembly  hall. 
In  the  old  German  frame  church,  with  its  belfry  containing  the 
town  clock,  shoe  making  was  conducted  on  quite  a  large  scale. 
In  other  buildings  in  the  western  and  northern  parts  of  the  town, 
different  branches  of  manufactures  were  conducted,  so  that  the 
scholars  could  work  at  any  trade  they  wished. 

In  No.  5  we  would  study  from  an  early  hour,  frequently 
beginning  at  three  A.M.  until  eight,  and  from  one  P.M.  to  three 
P.M.  The  remainder  of  the  mornings  and  afternoons  would  be 
devoted  to  work  at  the  various  trades. 

West  of  No.  5  was  a  building  in  which  our  meals  were  served. 
For  breakfast  we  had  an  allowance  of  one  and  a  half  pints  of 
milk,  one  large  spoonful  of  molasses  and  as  much  corn  meal  mush 
as  we  wished.  At  noon  we  would  have  meat  and  vegetables,  for 
supper  we  would  return  to  mush  and  milk.  At  first  we  had 
coffee  for  breakfast  but  later  Mme.  Fretageot  thought  that  was 
too  extravagant,  so  henceforward  we  were  only  allowed  coffee 
Sunday  mornings.  Two  Mexican  boys  attended  the  school,  who 
were  sent  from  Mexico  by  William  Maclure.  James-Louis,  aged 
10,  and  Sevalla,  8.  They  could  not  speak  English  and  when 
they  wanted  to  know  if  the  next  day  was  Sunday  they  would  say 
"Tomorrow  coffee?"  and  if  answered  in  the  affirmative  their  joy 
would  be  unbounded.  After  the  close  of  the  school  they  were 
sent  back  to  Mexico  and  a  few  years  later  Sevalla  was  killed  by 
brigands  while  driving  a  stage  coach  near  the  City  of  Mexico. 
Louis  was  never  heard  from  after  his  arrival  in  his  native  home. 

The  pupils  would  alternately  assist  in  the  kitchen,  stirring 
the  mush,  preparing  the  vegetables,  washing  dishes,  etc.  also 
milk  the  cows  and  attend  to  the  horses  and  other  stock.  An  inter- 
meddling Dutchman,  named  Kreutz,  assisted  in  the  care  of  the 
stock,  whose  overbearing  ways  made  him  very  obnoxious  to  the 


VICTOR  COLIN  DUCLOS.  545 

boys  who  were  daily  brought  in  contact  with  him.  One  day  I 
was  out  in  the  yard  milking  and  was  unfortunate  enough  to  be 
kicked  over  by  the  cow  who  also  as  a  parting  act  of  good  friend- 
ship, stepped  on  my  foot  which  I  resented  by  striking  her  three 
or  four  times  with  the  milking  stool.  The  Dutchman  saw  me 
tanning  the  cow  and  commenced  abusing  me.  He  also  threat- 
ened to  thrash  me.  I  told  him  I  would  not  milk  another  cow. 
He  though  I  called  him  "A  d—  -  old  sow."  He  picked  up  a 
clapboard  and  started  after  me.  I  ran  for  the  house  yelling  for 
help,  as  I  reached  the  door  the  whole  school  was  up  greatly 
excited.  They  let  me  in  and  closed  the  door  on  my  pursuer. 
The  teacher  wanted  to  know  what  it  was  all  about.  The  Dutch- 
man told  her  what  he  thought  I  had  called  him,  but  with  a  full 
explanation  I  came  out  all  right. 

A  Swiss,  named  Baltazzar,  a  kind  of  an  artist  had  a  room  in 
the  south  east  corner  of  No.  2,  and  had  made  a  large  oil  painting 
of  the  old  Rapp  church.  It  was  hanging  on  the  wall  of  his  room 
and  some  of  the  boys  decided  that  his  lines  were  not  perpendicu- 
lar, so  they  drew  on  one  side  a  number  of  men  with  poles  against 
it  to  push  it  into  position  and  a  number  on  the  opposite  side  pull- 
ing on  ropes  fastened  to  the  eaves,  pulling  at  it.  When  he  saw 
what  they  had  done  he  was  so  angry  that  he  surely  would  have 
killed  the  guilty  parties  had  he  been  able  to  find  out  who  they 
were.  Another  trick  played  on  Balthazzar  (spelled  several  ways) 
was  then  he  and  Mike  Craddock  quarrelled.  He  sent  Mike  a 
challenge  to  fight  a  duel  which  was  accepted  and  it  was  decided 
that  pistols  should  be  used,  distance — five  paces.  Seconds  were 
appointed  who  decided  that  blank  cartridges  should  be  used,  and 
that  Craddock  should  fall  at  the  first  fire.  So  early  in  the  morn- 
ing the  parties  repaired  to  a  secluded  spot  in  the  old  orchard  and 
the  men  took  their  positions  and  glared  at  each  other  while  the 
seconds  carefully  loaded  the  pistols.  Tom  Cox,  one  of  the 
seconds,  instructed  the  principals  that  the  signal  to  fire  should  be 
the  dropping  of  a  handkerchief,  and  that  the  result  of  this  fire 
should  settle  the  matter.  To  this  the  principals  agreed.  Their 
weapons  were  handed  them  and  the  signal  given.  There  was 
scarcely  anj^  difference  in  the  reports  of  the  two  weapons.  Bal- 
thazzar was  apparently  unhurt,  but  Craddock  staggered,  dropped 
his  pistol,  clapped  his  hand  to  his  heart,  and  fell  backward  appar- 
ently dead.  It  was  a  most  realistic  performance.  His  seconds 
rushed  up.  opened  his  coat  and  pronounced  him  dead.  Bal- 
thazzar was  frightened  almost  to  death.  He  cried  "For  God's 

T — 35 


546  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

sake,  run  for  a  doctor."  At  this  Craddock  burst  out  laughing 
Balthazzar  saw  he  was  the  victim  of  a  practical  joke,  altho  much 
chagrined,  he  was  well  satisfied  as  to  the  outcome.  He  was  very 
sensitive  over  it  when  the  subject  was  brought  up  and  finally 
returned  to  Europe,  and  as  he  said  "to  the  company  of  gentlemen." 
One  morning  at  the  breakfast  table  we  were  all  seated  on  a 
row  of  benches  at  either  side  of  the  table,  and  the  mush  placed 
near  one  of  the  rows  so  the  scholars  could  help  themselves.  A 
young  man,  wishing  more  mush,  lifted  his  foot  over  the  seat  and 
placed  it  down  in  the  hot  mush  that  happened  to  be  directly 
behind  him.  He  jumped  about  four  feet  high  and  yelled  like  a 
wild  Indian,  dancing  over  the  floor  he  scattered  the  hot  mush  in 
every  direction. 

One  of  our  teachers,  Mr.  Lesueur,  was  a  fine  artist.  He 
taught  drawing  and  painting,  and  did  a  great  deal  of  artistic 
work  outside  of  the  school.  He  and  Thomas  Say  spent  most  of 
their  leisure  in  the  woods  or  in  the  river  searching  for  shells  and 
catching  fish  which  they  painted  and  described.  Mr.  Lesueur 
also  devoted  some  of  his  time  to  painting  scenes  for  the  Theatre. 
One  notable  scent,  on  the  south  end  o£  the  old  Hall  was  for  the 
play  of  William  Tell.  It  was  still  in  good  preservation  when  the 
building  was  torn  down  in  1874.  It  is  related  that  one  of  his 
scenes  represented  a  forest  and  the  work  was  so  artisticly  exe- 
cuted that  many  of  the  audience  thought  they  were  real  trees. 
The  first  piece  put  on  the  stage  was  The  Maid  and  the  Magpie. 
One  scene  represented  a  church  with  steeple  and  belfry.  The 
maid  arranged  the  table  on  the  stage. 

Mr.  Lesueur  constructed  a  magpie  and  operated  it  so  that  it 
flew  down  while  the  maid  was  absent  and  took  a  spoon  from  the 
table,  up  to  its  nest  in  the  belfry,  then  returned  and  flew  back 
with  another  spoon.  The  spoons  were  missed  and  the  maid 
accused  of  the  theft.  After  having  been  put  on  trial,  she  was 
condemned  to  death.  The  day  of  execution  arrived.  The  execu- 
tioner, supported  by  a  double  file  of  soldiers,  marched  in.  The 
belfry  man  goes  up  in  the  belfry  to  toll  the  bell  and  finds  the 
spoons  in  the  magpie's  nest.  One  of  our  teachers,  Mrs  Chase, 
took  the  part  of  the  maid.  About  one  year  afterwards,  Mr. 
Lesueur  was  called  back  to  France  by  the  French  government 
and  on  his  arrival  there  he  was  granted  a  large  pension  for  valu- 
able services  rendered  on  various  exploring  expeditions. 

One  of  our  teachers  was  a  copper  plate  engraver  named 
Tiebout,  "who  instructed  the  scholars  in  the  art.  Mrs  Tiebout 


VICTOR  COLIN  DUCLOS.  547 

also  taught  in  the  schools.  They  had  two  children  who  were 
pupils,  one,  a  daughter,  about  twelve  years  old  who  in  later  years 
married  a  man  named  Cologne,  the  other  a  son  about  nine.  Mr. 
Tiebout  died  here  and  was  buried  in  the  Woods'  graveyard. 

Mr.  Thomas  Say  was  a  fine  gentleman  and  the  scholars  thought 
a  great  deal  of  him,  in  fact  he  was  beloved  by  the  whole  com- 
munity. I  spent  a  part  of  almost  every  day  at  his  home  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  Granary  and  West  Streets. 

Our  clothing  was  quite  an  item  with  us.  The  costume  of  the 
men  and  boys  consisted  of  a  jacket  made  quite  large,  pleated 
back  and  front  with  a  band  at  the  waist  to  which  the  pantaloons 
were  buttoned.  These  were  made  to  fit  loosely  and  had  no 
pockets.  This  formed  our  summer  suit. 

One  summer,  while  in  swimming,  at  the  ford  of  Gresham 
Creek,  where  the  old  covered  bridge  spans  the  stream,  with  the 
other  boys,  I  left  my  suit  up  on  the  bank  and  lingered  in  the 
water  after  the  other  boys  had  dressed  and  gone.  When  I  came 
out  I  could  not  find  my  clothes.  On  looking  around,  a  saw  a 
cow  about  thirty  yards  off  with  something  hanging  from  her 
mouth.  I  discovered  it  was  a  leg  of  my  lost  pants  which  she 
was  trying  to  dispose  of.  So  I  put  on  my  little  jacket  and  chased 
her  around  the  common  until  I  managed  to  secure  a  hold  on  about 
six  inches  of  the  leg.  I  pulled  them  out  but  they  were  in  a  sad 
condition.  I  took  them  to  the  Creek  and  washed  them  out  the 
best  I  could  and  put  them  on  and  went  home.  For  a  long  time 
after  that  I  went  by  the  name  of  "chawed  breeches." 

About  the  year  1830,  a  young  man  named  Oliver  Evans  came 
to  town,  and  about  a  year  later  married  Miss  Louisa  Neef,  a 
daughter  of  one  of  our  principal  teachers.  Mr  Evans  built  a 
foundry  north  of  North  Street  and  east  of  Main.  In  connection 
with  the  foundry  was  a  plow  factory.  Working  on  the  building 
of  the  foundry,  was  a  carpenter,  named  Chambers.  He  made  a 
mortise  on  the  wrong  side  of  a  stick  of  timber.  He  stood  with 
his  foot  on  the  timber  studying  how  to  remedy  the  error,  his 
elbow  on  his  knee  and  his  chin  resting  on  his  hand.  A  man  com- 
ing up  from  the  river  noticed  his  preoccupied  situation  and  asked 
him  if  he  had  the  toothache,  he  said  "yes",  so  the  man  said  he 
would  send  Dr.  Thompson  down  to  pull  it.  The  Doctor  hastened 
down  and  found  Chambers  still  resting  as  the  man  had  found 
him.  The  Doctor  asked  him  if  he  wanted  it  extracted  he  said 
"no"  but  he  would  like  him  to  pull  out  this  hole  and  put  it  on 
the  other  side  of  the  timber.  Dr.  Thompson  was  very  wrothy. 


548  EARLY  TRAVELS  IN  INDIANA. 

He  said  "yes,  yes,  Chalmers,  I  will  make  you  pay  for  this",  and 
sure  enough,  he  did. 

The  Evans  foundry  made  the  first  cast  plows  that  were  made 
in  the  state,  but  he  found  he  could  buy  the  castings  in  Pittsburgh 
for  about  what  the  pig  iron  would  cost  delivered  in  New  Harmony. 

The  flouring  mill  at  the  Cutt-off  was  owned  by  Mr.  Maclure 
and  the  miller  was  named  Pennypacker.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
strength,  and  very  proud  of  showing  what  he  could  do.  One  of 
his  feats  was  to  hang  a  56  pound  weight  on  his  little  finger  and 
write  his  name  with  his  arm  extended  full  length.  He  would 
carry  a  barrel  of  flour  under  each  arm.  Mr.  Pennypacker  would 
come  to  the  school  to  pay  his  rent.  He  frequently  had  to  take 
two  or  three  yoke  of  oxen  and  plow  out  the  head  of  the  Cut-off 
to  get  enough  water  to  run  the  mill. 

There  was  a  fire  engine  left  here  by  the  Germans  that  was 
used  for  protection  against  fire.  It  was  arranged  to  be  worked 
by  eighteen  men  and  was  supplied  with  water  by  buckets.  It 
was  made  by  Pat  Lyon  in  Philadelphia  about  1804  and  is  still  in 
use  by  the  town. 

About  1834,  a  gentleman,  Prince  Maximillian,  visited  the 
town.  He  had  with  him  three  or  four  scientific  men.  He 
traveled  under  the  name  of  Baron  Brownsburg.  While  here  he 
had  a  room,  in  the  northwest  corner  of  No.  2,  on  the  second  floor. 
I  was  with  him  nearly  every  day  and  often  accompanied  him  as 
a  guide  in  his  rambles  over  the  country.  Mr.  B.  asked  me  one 
day  to  get  a  skift  and  take  him  over  on  Fox  Island.  I  did  so, 
and  fired  his  gun,  frequently,  but  with  poor  success. 


INDEX 


A 

ACADEMIES,  PAGE 

Vincennes  Academy  described  by  Thomas  in  1818 105 

AGRICULTURE, 

SEE  PRODUCTS. 

adaptability  of  Wabash  country  noted  by  Hutchins  in  1778. .  .         8 

described  by  Mackenzie 245 

extensive  and  profitable 200 

growing  potatoes  in  lower  Wabash  valley 72,  103 

perfected  in  colony  at  Xew  Harmony,  1828 514 

poor  state  in  Ohio  Valley  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 46 

products  grown  in  state 195,  230 

progressive  methods  of  eastern  emigrants  described  by  Thomas 

in  1816 62 

no® 81 

rotation    of    crops    practiced    by    Shakers    in    1816 73 

ANARCHY. 

prevailing  at  New  Harmony  during  absence  of  Robert  Owen. .  .     420 

ANDERSON'S  RIVER, 

described  by  travelers 137,  213,  218 

ANIMALS, 

SEE  CATTLE,  HQRSES,  SHEEP,  WILD  ANIMALS. 

ANTIQUITIES, 

abundant  in  Indian  mounds 456-457 

bone  of  mammoth  found 62 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 162 

APPAREL, 

SEE  DRESS. 

APPLEGARTH,  MR., 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 433 

AREA, 

of  state  given  by  Darby 191 

given  by  Mackenzie 244 

given  by  Warden 216 

ARMY  WORM, 

ravages  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816,  and  1818 76,  114 

ASHE,  THOMAS, 

biographical  sketch 25 

ASSOCIATE  PRESBYTERY  OR  SECEDERS, 

one  or  two  societies  existing  in  Indiana  in  1827 503 

(549) 


550  INDEX 

ASSOCIATE  REFORMED  CHURCH,  PAGE 

mentioned  by  Reed 465 

ATTORNEYS, 

SEE  LAWYERS. 
ATWATER,  CALEB, 

biographical  sketch 530 

AURORA, 

described  by  travelers 204,  448 

B 
BACKWOODSMEN, 

SEE  HOSPITALITY. 

described  by  Birkbeck 178,  180 

hardships  described  by  Mason 236,  237 

BAILEY,  BENJAMIN, 

mentioned  by  Forster 261 

BALTHAZAR, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony. 537,  545 

BANKS, 

at  Vincennes,  in  1818 ..-.-.-... 105 

at  Vincennes  described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 160 

Madison  bank  chartered  in  1814 106 

New  Lexington  bank  bubble 462 

.  system  at  New  Harmony 519 

BANKS,  REV.  D.  C., 

organized  Presbyterian  church  at  New  Albany 495 

BAPTISTS, 

church  formed  at  New  Albany,  1819 474 

conducting  Indiana  school  at  Fort  Wayne 250 

numerous  in  Indiana  in  1827 503 

prevailing  sect  in  1818  according  to  Birkbeck 188 

BARON  BROWNSBURG, 

incognito  of  Prince  Maximilian  on  his  visit  to  New  Harmony .  .     548 

BATTLE  OF  TIPPECANOE, 

reasons  leading  up  to  expedition  by  Thomas  in  1816 75 

BAYOUS, 

existence  in  Vincennes  region  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 87 

BEAL,  JOHN, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 537 

BEARS, 

SEE  GAME. 

existence  in  early  Indiana  times 79 

furnishing  abundant  meat,  1828 527 

BEATTY,  REV.  C.  C., 

Presbyterian    missionary    organized    churches    along    Wabash 
River,  1822 496 

BEEF, 

prices  paid  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 


INDEX  551 

BEES,  PAGE 

not  native  to  Indiana  country 114 

BELL,  JOHN, 

mentioned  by  Forster 267 

BENEVOLENT  INSTITUTIONS, 

reviewed  briefly  by  Reed,  1827 502-503 

BERNHARD,  KARL, 

biographical  sketch 418 

BETHANY  CHURCH, 

in  Owen  County,  supplied  by  Isaac  Reed,  1822 485 

BETHLEHEM  CHURCH, 

organized  in  Washington  County  by  Presbyterians,  1824 486 

BIBLE  SOCIETIES, 

formed  in  several  counties,  1818-1827 .'.  502 

BIG  BLUE  RIVER, 

described  by  travelers 137,  213,  218 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES, 

Ashe,  Thomas 25 

Atwater,  Caleb 530 

Bernhard,  Karl,  Duke  of  Saxe-Weimer 418 

Birkbeck,  Morris 171 

Bradbury,  John 35 

Brown,  Samuel  R 136 

Cobbett,  WiUiam 508 

Coffin,  Charles  F 532 

Cutler,  Jervasse 37 

Dana,  Edmund 197 

Darby,  William 191 

Duclos,  Victor  Colin '. 536 

Flint,  Timothy » 438 

Forster,  WiUiam 256 

Hall,  Basil 506 

Hebert,  William 327 

Hutchins,  Thomas 7 

Imlay,  George 9 

Mackenzie,  Eneas 244 

Mason,  Richard  Lee 235 

Melish,  John 29 

Pelham,  William 360 

Postel,  Karl 522 

Reed,  Isaac 463 

Teas,  Thomas  Scattergood 246 

Thomas,  David 42 

Volney,  Constantino  Francois 17 

Warden,  David  Baillie .  216 

BIRDS, 

SEE  GAME. 

cranes 116 

crows 116 

hawks 117 

kinds  noted  by  Thomas 80,  116 

parroquets  noted  and  described  by  Thomas  in  isi6 45 

pelicans * 116 


552  INDEX 

BIRDS — Continued.  PAGE 

pigeons 49,  337,  456,  521 

prairie  chickens 81,  117 

robins 117 

swans 116 

turkey-buzzards  and  pigeons  in  great  numbers,   near  Evans- 
ville,  1828 510 

BIRKBECK,  MORRIS, 

biographlal  sketch 171 

BIRKBECK'S  COLONY, 

in  Illinois  described  by  Cobbett 511-513 

BLACK  RIVER. 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 140 

BLACKFORD,  ISAAC, 

cashier  of  Vincennes  Bank  in  1818 105 

BLISS,  REV.  STEPHEN, 

ordained  as  evangelist  for  Presbyterian  church  at  Vincennes, 
1825 488 

BLOOMINGTON, 

college  called  State  Seminary,  taught  by  a  Presbyterian  minister, 

1827 501 

Presbyterian  church  established  by  Isaac  Reed,  1819 477 

BLUE  GRASS, 

luxuriant  growth  noted  by  Bradbury,  1809-1811 35 

BLUE  RIVER, 

SEE  BIG  BLUE  RIVER. 

meeting  place  of  Society  of  Friends 265 

BOARDING  HOUSES, 

SEE  TAVERNS. 

BOAT  LOAD  OF  KNOWLEDGE, 

applied  to  colony  of  educators  who  traveled  down  the  Ohio  from 
Pittsburg  to  Mt.  Vernon,  for  New  Harmony 537 

BOTANICAL  CHARACTERISTICS, 

country  bordering  upper  Ohio 44 

dodder  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 65 

Drake's  calendar  of  Indiana  flora 110 

growth  of  columbo  at  Ft.  Harrison  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816.  .  .  95 

hollyhocks 74 

iron   weed 133 

jimson  weed 67 

list  of  plants  in  WTabash  Valley  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 126 

of  Indiana  country  noted  by  Bradbury  in  1809-1811 35 

of  Shakertown  region  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 74 

plant  life  noted  by  Imlay  in  1793 10 

red  trumpet  flower  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 63 

wild  roses 66 

reed  cane,  cotton,  rice  and  indigo 169 


INDEX  553 

BOUNDARIES,  PAGE 

given  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 136 

by  Dana,  1818 198 

by  Darby 191 

by  Flint 443 

by  Thomas 100 

by  Warden 216 

BRADBURY,  JOHN, 

travels  in  Indiana  territory  in  1809-1811 35 

BRIARES, 

location  and  description  in  letter  of  soldier  in  1791 16 

BRICKMAKIXG, 

output  at  New  Harmony  in  1825 394 

BROOKVILLE, 

described  by  travelers 149-150,  202,  223,  454 

place  of  publication  of  Plain  Dealer 105 

BROUETTE  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 140 

BROWN,  SAMUEL  R., 

biographical  sketch 136 

Immigrant's  Directory,  published  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817. 136-170 

BROWN,  T.  H.  REV., 

first  Presbyterian  minister  licensed  in  Indiana,  1824 496 

ordained  for  Presbyterian  Church  at  Bethlehem,  1825 488 

BROWNSTOWX. 

described  by  Dana,  1819 209 

BUFFALOES, 

non  existence  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 116 

BUILDINGS, 

of  brick  and  wood,  at  Vincennes,  1819 211 

BUSH,  REV.  GEORGE, 

first  Presbyterian  minister  ordained  in  Indiana,  at  Indianapolis, 

1825 496 

of  Indianapolis  mentioned  by  Reed,  1823 487 

C 
CALENDARS, 

Drake's  floral  calendar 110 

CAMPING, 

necessary  outfit  for  a  night  in  the  woods 179,  248 

CANADIAN  VOLUNTEERS, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer 161 

dissatisfaction  of  early  settlers  with  privileges 79 

CANALS, 

effect  of  completion  of  New  York  canal  upon  commerce  in  Indi- 
ana  243,  251 

letter  by  Capt.  James  Riley  concerning  possibility  of  canal  be- 
tween Wabash  and  Miami 241-242 

proposed  on  the  Ohio  River  and  from  the  Wabash  River  to  the 
Miami 207,  221,  450,  460 


554  INDEX 

CANE,  PAGE 

abundant  growth  in  Wabash  country  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818.     133 

CANOES, 

described  by  Teas 247 

CANT  PHRASES, 

used  by  Western  settlers  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 132 

CATALPA, 

existence  in  Indiana  doubted  by  Thomas 127 

CATHOLICS, 

at  Vincennes  mentioned  by  Forster 257 

CATTLE, 

adaptability  of  Wabash  country  noted  by  Hutchins  in  1778  . . . 

droves  for  Baltimore  market  seen  by  Thomas  in  1816 49 

fattened  easily  and  cheaply 252 

grazing  possibilities  noted  by  Imlay  in  1793 10 

prices  at  Louisville  1806-1811 29 

tendency  to  murrain  disease  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 119 

CAVES, 

causes  explained  by  Thomas  in  1816 56 

courses  of  subterranean  streams  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816.  ....       55 
Epsom  salts  cave  described  by  Flint  yielding  nitrates,   salt- 
petre, plaster  of  Paris,  and  sulphate  of  iron 197,  457-460 

existence  noted  by  Cutler  in  1812 41 

CELIBACY, 

observed  by  Harmony  society 332 

by  Shakers 337 

CENSUS, 

enumeration  of  people  at  Vincennes  in  1816 102 

in  1816 106 

of  1810  and  1815  compared 200-201 

of  1820  given  by  Mackenzie 245 

population  of  Harmony  colony  in  1825 333 

CENTREVILLE, 

described  by  Dana,  in  1819 202 

CEREALS, 

SEE  CORN,  GRAINS,  PRODUCTS,  WHEAT. 

CHALYBEATE  SPRINGS, 

found    near    Jeffersonville 221 

CHARLESTON, 

described  by  travelers,  1828 157.  525 

CHARLESTOWN, 

described  by  Dana,  1819 206 

mentioned  by  Reed ."....     467 

surrounded  by  land  granted  to  George  Rogers  Clark  by  Vir- 
ginia      450 

CHASE,  M., 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 537 


INDEX  555 

CHEMIN  RIVER,  PAGE 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 141 

CHERRIES, 

growth  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 42 

CHICAGO  RIVER, 

described  by  travelers 167,  220 

CHILDREN, 

in  Robert  Owen's  society  at  New  Harmony 424,  435 

CHURCHES, 

SEE  VARIOUS  DENOMINATIONS. 

at  New  Harmony  built  by  Rapp  Society 334,  369,  541 

at  Vincennes  in  1818 105 

Bethany  church  in  Owen  county 485 

Bethlehem  church  in  Washington  county 486 

forms  of  religious  services  at  New  Harmony 370 

in  Indiana,  review  by  Isaac  Reed,  1826 494 

Pisgah  church  near  Madison 494 

CINCINNATI, 

climate 110 

described  by  Birkbeck 171-72,  174-75 

CIPPECAUGHKE, 

predecessor  of  Vincennes 101 

CIRCUIT  PREACHERS, 

description  of  service  at  New  Harmony  in  1825 380 

CLARK  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 156 

CLARK.  GEORGE  ROGERS, 

land  grant  from  Virginia,  near  Charlestown,  mentioned  by  Flint.     450 

CLARKSVILLE. 

described  by  travelers 26,  30,  39,  157 

CLELAND,  REV., 

mentioned  by  Reed 470 

CLIMATE, 

at  Vincennes  in  1818 106,  107 

Cincinnati  in  1818  and  previous  years 110 

comparison  of  Ohio  Valley  with  Atlantic  states Ill- 

described  by  travelers 18,  32.  147,  168-69,  217,  244,  446 

effect  upon  health,  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 120 

in  Salem  neighborhood  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 54 

CLOTHING, 

manufacture  by  early  inhabitants  noted  by  Imlay  in  1793 10 

COAL, 

existence  below  Ft.  Harrison  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 129 

existence  in  Paoli  neighborhood  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 57 

existence  noted  by  Bradbury  in  1809-1811 36 

found  in  quantities 221 

mine  opened  in  New  Purchase  in  1816 89 


556  INDEX 

COBBETT,  WILLIAM,  PAGE 

biographical  sketch 508 

COFFEE, 

prices  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

COFFIN,  CHARLES  F., 

biographical  sketch 532 

COLLEGE, 

at  Bloomington  called  State  Seminary  taught  by  Presbyterian 

minister,  1827 501 

COLLOQUIALISMS, 

salutation  "Stranger"  common 66 

unusual  pronunciation  of  words  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 132 

use  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 47 

COLUMBO, 

growth  at  Ft.  Harrison  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 95 

COMMERCE, 

SEE  TRADE. 
COMMITTEE, 

functions  in  settlement  of  disputes  at  New  Harmony 382 

to  revise  New  Harmory  constitution 406 

COMMUNITY, 

SEE  HARMONY  COLONY;  NEW  HARMONY. 

arguments  in  favor  by  Hebert 340 

farming  of  5.000  acres  by  French  near  Vincennes 452 

observations  of  Hebert 338-39 

of  goods  tenet  of  Harmony  Society 258,  453 

plan  for  formation  of  society  by  Hebert 353 

various  organisations  on  Owen  plan 375 

CONSTITUTION, 

adoption  of  New  Ha^>  ony  constitution  in  1826 406,  408 

model  for  communistic  society  by  Hebert 353 

CONSTITUTION  OF  INDIANA, 

approved  by  Darby 159 

briefly  reviewed  by  Reed 498 

mentioned  by  Flint 461 

origin  and  brief  statement  of  its  provisions  by  Warden 224  1:1". » 

COPPER, 

brought  to  Ft.  Harrison  by  Indians  in  1817 129 

existence  noted  by  Imlay  in  1793 11 

supposed  to  exist  in  Raccoon  creek  neighborhood 129 

COPPERAS, 

found  near  Silver  Creek 221 

CORN. 

adaptability  of  soil  to  raising  noted  by  Imlay  in  1793 10 

in  Wabash  country  to  raising  noted  by  Hutchins  in  1778.  8 

description  of  planting  by  Bernhard 434 

growth  in  neighborhood  of  Vincennes  noted  by  Volney  in  1804.  18 

methods  of  planting  in  prairie  sod  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 ...  98 

price  at  Louisville  in  1806-1811 '. 29 

at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

in  White  River  country  in  1816 63 


INDEX  557 

CORYDOX,  PAGE 

described  by  travelers 158,  208-9,  451 

list  of  newspapers  in  1818 • 105 

CORYDON  INDIANA  GAZETTE, 

letter  written  by  Capt.  James  Riley,  describing  topography  of 

Indiana 241-243 

letter  written  by  John  Vawter  describing  topography 239 

COTTON, 

adaptability  of  soil  to  raising  noted  by  Imlay 9 

growth  in  Vincennes  settlement  noted  by  Volney  in  1804 18 

produced  in  southern  Indiana 217 

raised  by  Shakers  at  Shakertown  in  1816 72 

COUNTIES, 

fifty-four  organized  in  1826 197 

population  according  to  census  of  1815 201 

population  and  chief  towns  in  1810 223-224 

population  of  the  five  counties  of  the  state  in  1810 191 

COURT  HOUSE, 

at  Vincennes  described  by  Thomas  in  1816 106 

insanitary  conditions 185 

COURTS, 

description  of  court  scene  by  Volney  in  1804 19 

settlement  of  disputes  by  committee  at  New  Harmony 382 

CRANES, 

described  by  Thomas  in  1818 116 

CRAWFISH, 

described  by  Thomas  in  1818 118 

CRAWFORDSVILLE, 

Presbyterian  church  organized  in  1824 486 

CREEKS, 

Little  River.  St.  Marie,  Pomme,  Pine,  Redwood,  Rejoicing,  Ver- 
million,  Jaune.  Little  Vermillion,  Erabliere,  Duchet's,  Breu- 
ctte,  Chemin.  Big  and  Little  Kennomic,  Theakiki  and  Kick- 
apoo  mentioned  by  travelers 214,  218-220 

Tanner's,  Wilson's,  Hogan's,  Laughry's,  Arnold's,  Grant,  Indian, 
Silver,  Wyandot,  Piqua,  Beaver,  Sinking,  etc.,  mentioned  by 
travelers 213,  218 

CRIMINALS, 

character  of  early  settlers  in  lower  Ohio  valley  as  noted  by 
Ashe  in  1808 26 

CROPS, 

SEE  AGRICULTURE;  PRODUCTS. 

CROW,  REV.  J.  F., 

organized  Presbyterian  church  at  Corydon  in  1818 495 

CROWS. 

destructive  tendencies  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 116 

CUMBERLAND  PRESBYTERIANS, 

several  societies  existing  in  Indiana  in  1827 503 


558  INDEX 

CUTLER,  JERVASSE,  PAGE 

topographical  description  of  Indiana  Territory  in  1812 37 

D 
DANA,  EDMUND, 

biographical    sketch 197 

DANCING, 

custom  at  New  Harmony 370 

dresses  worn  by  women  at  balls  in  New  Harmony 387 

frequent  occurrences  at  New  Harmony  in  Robert  Owen's  So- 
ciety  381,  431,  433-434,  453,  529 

interference  by  Phiquepal 414 

DARBY,  WILLIAM, 

biographical  sketch 191 

D'ARUSMONT,  PHIQUEPAL, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 537 

DAY,  REV.  EZRA  H., 

Presbyterian  pastor  at  New  Albany,  1822 496 

DAYHOFF,  MR., 

near  White  River  mentioned  by  Reed 490 

DEARBORN  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 148 

DEARBORN  GAZETTE, 

published  at  Lawrenceburg  in  1818 105 

DECHE  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 138 

or  Deeke  described  by  travelers 214,  219 

DEER, 

existence  in  Early  Indiana  times 79 

DELAWARES, 

in  western  Indiana 145 

DERROWT,  REV.  NATHAN  B., 

Presbyterian  missionary  organized  churches  in  Jennings  and 
Jackson  counties,  1818, 495 

DICK,  JOSHUA, 

mentioned  by  Forster 262 

DICKEY,  REV.  JOHN  M., 

of  New  Lexington,  mentioned  by  Reed 476 

pastor  of  Presbyterian  church  at  Washington,  about  1818 493 

DISCUSSION, 

high  character  of  debates  at  New  Harmony 408 

DISEASE, 

fevers  and  ague 95,  119 

insanity  unknown 188,  232 

pear  lash  as  a  remedy 123 

preventive  precautions  suggested  by  Thomas  in  1818 121 

remedies 123 

small-pox 188 

reflections  of  Thomas  in  1818  on  causes 119 

varieties  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 118 


INDEX  559 

DISTILLERIES,  PAGE 

built  by  Harmonist  Society  at  Harmony 517 

of  the  Rapp  Society  at  New  Harmony  removed  by  Robert  Owen.     425 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  WEALTH, 

criticism  of  inequality 387 

DODDER, 

plant  noted  and  described  by  Thomas  in  1816 65 

DRAINAGE, 

by  rivers  and  streams 212-215,  217 

of  Dearborn  county  by  many  streams 204 

DRAKE, 

calendar  of  flora 110 

DRESS, 

adopted  by  Robert  Owen's  society  at  New  Harmony .' .  336,  424 

simplicity  of  early  settlers  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 58 

worn  by  women  at  balls  in  New  Harmony 387 

DRIFT  WOOD  BRANCH, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 138 

DRUNKENNESS, 

among  Indians  living  near  Vincennes 181 

summary  methods  of  dealing  with  drunkards  at  New  Harmony .  .     381 

DRY  GOODS, 

prices  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

DUCHAT  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 140 

DUCLOS,  PETER  L. 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 537 

DUCLOS,  VICTOR  COLIN, 

biographical  sketch 536 

DUELLING, 

oath  of  militia  officers  to  suppress 126 

DUFOUR,  AMEDIE, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 537 

DUFOUR,  J.  J., 

member  of  Swiss  colony  at  Vevay 448 

DUNN,  W., 

mentioned  by  Reed 466 

DUPALAIS,  VIRGINIA, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 431,  537 

DWELLING  HOUSES, 

at  New  Harmony 419,  422,  428,  434,  453,  517-518,  539-540 

cabins  described  by  travelers 236,  237,  256,  261,  264,  521 

construction  described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 159 

in  Wayne  County  described  in  recollections  of  Coffin 533 

of  brick  and  wood,  at  Vincennes,  1819 211 

scarcity  at  New  Harmony  noted  by  Pelham  in  1825 393 

windowless  cabins  at  Troy,  1828 527 


560  INDEX 

DYES,  PAGE 

red  dyes  for  cotton  from  earth  deposit 59 

E 
EDUCATION, 

SEE  LIBRARY  SCHOOLS. 

conditions  in  State  in  1827 501-502 

literary  society  at  Vevay,  1817 155 

Pestalozzian  system  introduced  by  Mr.  McClure  and  Mr.  Xeef 

in  Robert  Owen's  society  at  New  Harmony 435,  537 

Presbyterian  Education  societies  formed,  1818-1826 502 

system  introduced  by  Robert  Owen 420 

EEL  RIVER, 

described  by  travelers 138,  215,  220 

ELK, 

existence  in  early  Indiana  times 79,  116 

EMBREE,  DR., 

lecturer  on  plwsiology  at  New  Harmony 414 

EMIGRANTS, 

guide,  published  by  Darby,  1818 191-196 

precautions  advised  by  Thomas  in  1818 119-124 

EMIGRANT'S  DIRECTORY, 

by  Samuel  R.  Brown,  1817,  published  in  Western  Gazetteer.  136-170 

EMIGRATION, 

extent    noticed    by    Bradley    in     1806-1811 36 

EPSOM  SALT, 

found  in  a  cave  in  southern  Indiana 197,  222,  457-60 

ERABLIERE  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 140 

EVANS,  OLIVER. 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 547 

EVANSVILLE, 

described  by  travelers 212,  437,  450 

landing  place  for  travelers  to  Vincennes 113 

EWING,  X., 

land  officer  at  Vincennes  in  1816  and  host  to  Thomas 84,  85 

President  of  Vincennes  bank  in  1818 •. 105 

F 
FALLS, 

in  White  river  described  by  Thomas  in  1816 63 

FALLS  OF  THE  OHIO, 

described  by  travelers 30,  40 

FALQUE,  CHARLES, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 537 

FARLOW,  JOSEPH, 

mentioned  by  Forster 264 


INDEX  561 

FARMERS'  AND  MECHANICS'  BANK,  PAGE 

in  Madison,  1817 156 

FENCES, 

Birkbeck's  mode,  in  Illinois,  commended  by  Cobbett,  1828.  . .  .     513 

FERRIES, 

at  Raccoon  Creek,  Vermillion  County 491 

Davis's  Ferry  over  Wabash 513 

Johnson's  Ferry  over  a  bayou  of  the  Wabash 514 

on  Embarras  River  described  by  Forster 259 

over  Wabash  described  by  Forster 258,  260 

FEVER  AND  AGUE, 

prevalence  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 119 

FEVERS, 

prevalence  in  Wabash  country  in  1816 95 

FINANCES, 

of  state  treasury 230 

FIQUEPAL,  MR., 

SEE  PHIQUEPAL. 
FISH, 

abound  in  northern  streams 456 

kinds  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 117 

plentiful  supply  in  Great  Kennomic 223 

prices  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

unhealthfulness  of  fresh  fish  as  a  diet,  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818.  123 

warning  by  Thomas  in  1818  against  fishing  in  warm  weather.  .  .  122 

FLINT. 

existence  of  gun  flint  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 44,  97 

FLINT,  TIMOTHY, 

biographical  sketch 438 

FLOODS, 

affecting  Lawrenceburgh 202 

effect  of  early  floods  on  trees 91 

Wabash  valley 146 

FLOWERS, 

SEE  BOTANICAL  CHARACTERISTICS. 

cultivation  by  German  colony  at  Harmony  regarded  as  symptom 
of  simplicity  and  ignorance 514 

FLY-FLAPPER, 

construction  described  by  Thomas  in  1816 79 

FOOD, 

SEE  HOSPITALITY. 

caution  of  Thomas  as  to  diet  in  1818  to  new  settlers 122 

meats 196 

price  of  flour  at  Louisville  in  1825 367 

price  of  pork  and  other  foods  at  Vincennes,  1816 103 

prices  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

FORDS, 

necessary  and  dangerous 237 

T— 36 


562  INDEX 

FOREST  FIRES,  PAGE 

described  by  Mason 238 

FORSTER,  WILLIAM, 

biographical  sketch 256 

FORT  DEARBORN, 

garrison  destroyed  in  1812 232 

FORT  HAMILTON, 

location  and  description 14 

FORT  HARRISON, 

described  by  Thomas  in  1816 96 

description  of  prairie  of  same  name  by  Thomas  in  1818 131 

garrison  about  1810 232 

FORT  KNOX, 

located  by  Thomas  in  1816 69 

FORT  ST.  MARY'S, 

described  by  Teas 252 

FORT  WAYNE, 

described  by  Capt.  James  Riley 241,  243 

described  by  Teas • 250 

distance  from  Vincennes  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 135 

mentioned  by  Warden 232 

notes  of  Thomas  of  trip  from  Vincennes  in  1818 135 

FORTS, 

fortified  building  at  New  Harmony  built  by  Rapp  Society 541 

fortified  houses  described  by  Thomas  in  1816 51 

FOWLER,  REV.  ORIN, 

letter  to  Isaac  Reed,  from  Carlisle,  Ind.,  1819 478-486 

FRANKLIN  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 148 

FREDERICKSBURG, 

described  by  Mason 236 

FREDONIA, 

described  by  Dana,  1819 209 

FRENCH  GRANTS, 

in  the  Wabash  country 77 

FRENCH  LICK, 

described  by  travelers 60,  521 

FRENCH  SETTLERS, 

at  Vincennes,  characteristics 184,  451,  461 

complaint  of  treatment  after  American  ascendency 20,  21 

description  by  Vplney  in  1804 20 

followed  the  Indians  on  Indiana  soil 233 

location  described  by  Hutchins  in  1778 8 

longevity  of  early  settlers  of  Vincennes 113 

titles  in  Vincennes  region  confirmed  by  United  States 101 

uncertainty  as  to  time  of  settling  Vineennes 101 


INDEX  563 

FRETAGEOT,  MADAME,  PAGE 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 407,  432,  434,  537 

FRIENDS, 

SEE  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 
FROSTS, 

season  in  Vincennes  region  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 108 

FRUITS, 

SEE  ORCHARDS. 

adaptability  of  soil  in  southwestern  Indiana  to  growth 65 

noted  by  Imlay  in  1793 10 

adaptability  of  Wabash  river  soil  noted  by  Hutchins  in  1778 ....         8 

cherries  noted  by  Thomas,  1816 42 

grapes 114,  133,  230,  441,  449,  508 

orchards  at  Shakertown  in  1816 72 

persimmons 115 

productiveness  mentioned  by  Forster 266 

strawberries f 98,  108 

varieties  grown  described  by  Warden ; 230 

FUNERALS, 

simplicity  at  New  Harmony 382 

FUR  TRADE, 

extent  noticed  by  Hutchins  in  1778 8 

G 
GAME, 

SEE  WILD  ANIMALS. 

bears  and  deer 79,  527 

deer,  bears,  wolves  and  various  birds 223 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 168 

elk ' 79,  116 

plentiful 158-9,  236,  247,  456 

prairie  chickens 81,  117 

varieties  noted  by  Imlay  in  1793 10 

GARDENS, 

description  of  gardens  at  Harmony  bv  Hebert  in  1825 336 

gardening  described  by  Cobbett,  1828 508-513 

thrifty  at  New  Harmony,  1828 514 

GEOGRAPHY, 

of  Indiana  given  by  travelers, 244-245,  443-462 

GEOLOGICAL  FORMATION, 

country  adjacent  to  upper  Ohio  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 45 

country  in  Knob  region  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 50,  51 

country  in  neighborhood  of  PaoU  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816.  ...       56 

French  Lick  region  described  by  Thomas  in  1816 60 

Indiana  country  noted  by  Bradbury  in  1809-1811 35 

GIBSON  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 162 

GILL'S  PRAIRIE, 

described  by  Thomas 87,  125 

GINSENG, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 149 

grown  near  Fort  Wayne 251 

on  Whitewater  River.  .  222 


564  INDEX 

GLAUBER'S  SALTS,  PAGE 

existence  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 47 

found  in  cave  near  New  Albany 222 

GOPHERS, 

existence  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 65 

GOVERNMENT, 

comments  upon  by  Mackenzie 245 

by  Reed,  1818 498 

GRAHAM,  S., 

mentioned  by  Reed 465 

GRAINS, 

SEE  AGRICULTURE;  CORN;  Wheat. 

adaptability  of  Wabash  country  soil  noted  by  travelers 8,  9 

animals  injurious  to  grains 230 

crops  described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 151 

for  food,  stock  and  distilleries  grown  in  State 195 

grown  in  central  Indiana 445 

prices  at  Louisville  in  1806-1811 29 

at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

GRAND  PRAIRIE, 

described  by  Thomas  in  1816 77 

GRAPES, 

grown  abundantly  at  Vevay 441,  449,  508 

by  Harmony  Colony 336 

in  Wabash  country 1 14,  133 

grown  near  Vevay  degenerated  in  quality 522 

varieties  grown  described  by  Warden 230 

GRASS, 

luxuriant  growth  of  blue  grass  noted  by  Bradbury,  1809-1811 .  .       35 
native  and  blue  grass 446 

GREAT  KENNOMIC  RIVER, 

described  by  B-1  ;wn  in  Western  Gazetteer 167 

GREAT  SALINE, 

location  noted  by  Cutler  in  1812 38 

GREEN  COUNTY, 

Presbyterian  church  organized,  1825 488-489 

H 
HALF-MOON  SPRING, 

described  by  Thomas  in  1816 57 

HALL,  B.  R.  REV., 

ordained  for  Presbyterian  church  at  Blocmington,  1825 487 

HALL,  BASIL, 

biographical  sketch 506 

HARDENSBURGH, 

described  by  Dana,  1819 204 

HARDWARE, 

prices  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 


INDEX  565 

HARMONY, 

SEE  COMMUNITY;  NEW  HARMONY.  PAGE 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 162 

surrounding  land 189-190 

HARMONY  COLONY, 

account  of  Rapp's  society  by  Bernhard 421-422 

agriculture  and  manufacturers 231 

business  methods  and  colony  management 331 

chiefly  settled  by  Germans  from  Wirtemburg 328 

described  bv  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 162 

by  Dana,  1819 212 

by  Hebert 327 

by  Thomas  in  1818 125 

description  of  church  in  course  of  erection  in  1825 334 

of  dress  worn  by  members 336 

of  Rapp's  home  by  Pelham  in  1825 378 

gardens  described  by  Hebert  in  1825 336 

habits  of  industry . 330,  331 

home  of  Rapp  described  by  Hebert  in  1825 328 

industries  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 125 

location  at  Harmony  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 125 

love  for  music  noted  by  Hebert  in  1825 335 

manufactures 336 

members  regarded  as  priest-ridden  by  Hebert 333 

method  of  government  by  the  Rapps 332 

not  hospitable  to  printers 331 

number  of  members  in  1825 333 

objection  to  use  of  English  language  by  Rajfp 333 

origin  and  history  given  by  Cobbett 516 

religious  views  of  members 329 

value  of  buildings  and  improvements  sold  to  Robert  Owen 538 

views  and  practices  as  to  marriage 330 

vineyards  described  by  Hebert  in  1825 336 

HARRISON, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 151 

described  by  travelers  as  situated  in  both  Ohio  and  Indiana. . . .  454 

Indian  mounds  and  surroundings  described  by  Dana 204 

HARRISON  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 157 

HARRISON,  GENERAL  WM.  HENRY, 

destroyed  Indian  town,  1811 456 

estate  in  Harrison  County 157 

estate  in  Knox  County 159 

plantation  mentioned  by  Flint 438 

HARRISON'S  PURCHASE, 

described  by  Warden 231 

HAT  FACTORIES, 

number  at  Vincennes  in  1816 102 

HAWKIN'S  TAVERN, 

described  by  Birkbeck * 178 

HAWKS, 

existence  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 117 


566  INDEX 

HEALTH,  PAGE 

climatic  conditions  affecting 446-447 

conditions  in  certain  seasons 186 

conditions  throughout  the  state  described  by  Reed,  1827.  .  .  .499-500 

diseases  mentioned 118-121 

of  settlers,  described  by  Birkbeck 176-77 

HEBERT,  WILLIAM, 

account  of  visit  to  Harmony  colony  in  1825 327 

biographical  sketch 327 

plan  for  communistic  society 353 

views  on  communistic  societies 338,  340 

HELIANTHUS: 

growth  in  Wabash  country  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 133 

HENDERSON, 

description  of  town  by  Ashe  in  1808 27 

HILLS, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 141-42 

HINDOSTAN, 

described  by  travelers 237,  256 

HISTORY, 

of  settlement  of  Indiana  described  by  Warden 232 

HOGGETT,  MOSES, 

mentioned  by  FoTster 261,  262 

HOLLYHOCKS, 

existence  in  Quakertown  neighborhood  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816.       74 

HONEY  CREEK  PRAIRIE, 

described  by  Thomas  in  1816 94 

HORSES, 

breeds  noted  by  Hutchins  in  1778 8 

sale  price,  1828 511 

salivation  produced  by  eating  certain  plants 58 

tree  stripping  practice  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 46 

HORSETHIEVES, 

summary  mode  of  vengeance,  1828 511 

HOSPITALITY, 

abundant  at  Tavern  in  New  Harmony,  1828 515 

described  by  Mason 235 

fare  at  supper  at  Dr.  McNamee's  in  1825 403 

food  served  to  travelers 237-238,  246,  249,  264,  479,  506,  533 

mentioned  by  Forster , 262,  263 

of  backswoodsmen 256,  266 

of  Lebanon,  described  by  Birkbeck 171 

of  settlers  taxed  by  travelers,  described  by  Birkneck 177 

sleeping  accommodations  poor '. 259 

tavern  rates  at  New  Harmony 375 

at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

to  travelers,  in  Wayne  County 533 

.    tribute  paid  by  Isaac  Reed  to  this  characteristic  in  Indiana, 

1827 503-505 

unfavorable  criticism  of  Captain  Hall,  1827 r 506-507 

of  Thomas  in  1816 43 

very  meagre,  as  described  by  travelers 236-237 


INDEX  567 

HUNT,  ABNER,  PAGE 

mentioned  by  Forster 262 

HUTCHINS,  THOMAS, 

biographical  sketch 7 

topographical  description  of  county  in  1778 7 

I 
IMLAY,  GEORGE, 

biographical  sketch 

topographical  description  of  Indiana  country  in  1793 9 

IMMIGRATION, 

into  Indiana 462 

from  Kentucky,  through  Vevay,  for  settlement  in  Indiana 523 

to  and  from  western  lands,  through  Vincennes 257 

to  Indiana  noiseless,  but  steady  and  rapid 443 

INDIAN  BATTLES, 

ambush  attacks  on  white  settlers : 76 

attack  against  Indians  led  by  General  Harrison,  1811,  1813.  . .  .  234 

led  by  General  Wilkinson,  1791 233 

provision  wagons  for  relief  of  Ft.  Harrison 90 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 162 

description  of  campaign  against  Indians  in  1791 11-17 

description  of  fortified  houses  by  Thomas  in  1816 "52 

expeditions  against,  described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer, 

1817 143 

exterminating  battle  found  on  ground  occupied  by  Fort  Harri- 
son  : 233,  457 

reasons  leading  up  to  expedition  at  Tippecanoe  by  Thomas  in 

1816 75 

INDIAN  CLAIMS, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 170 

INDIAN  CREEK, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 137 

INDIAN  KENTUCKY  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 : 137 

INDIAN  MOUNDS, 

antiquities  abundant 456-57 

found  at  Harrison 152,  204,  454 

in  Franklin  County  described  by  Warden 229 

in  Vincennes  neighborhood  described  by  Thomas  in  1816 84 

on  Wabash  River 162 

INDIAN  RELICS, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 154 

INDIAN  VILLAGES, 

destroyed  by  General  Wilkinson  and  General  Harrison 456 

INDIANA. 

area,  population,  rivers,  productions  as  given  by  Darby,  1818.  .     191 
boundaries  and  area  given  by  Warden 216 

INDIANA  CENTINEL, 

published  at  Vincennes  in  1818 105 

INDIANA  GAZETTE, 

published  in  Corydon,  in  1818 105,  158 


568  INDEX 

INDIANA  HERALD,  PAGE 

published  at  Corydon  in  1818 105 

INDIANA  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY, 

formed  at  Presbytery  in  1822 488,  502 

INDIANA  REGISTER, 

published  at  Vevay  in  1818 105,  155 

INDIANA  REPUBLICAN, 

published  at  Madison  in  1818 105 

INDIANA  TERRITORY, 

boundary  recitals  by  Ashe  in  1808 25 

by  Cutler  in  1812 37 

description  by  Melish,  1806-1811 

nature  of  government  noted  by  Melish  in  1806-1811 33 

INDIANAPOLIS, 

consideration  of  route  from  New  Harmony .  .  •. 412 

described  by  Flint  as  of  very  rapid  growth 455 

fine  common  school  in  1827 501 

Persby terian  church  formed,  1822 485 

surrounded  by  very  rich  lands 445 

INDIANS, 

SEE  INDIAN  BATTLES. 

depredations  described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 160 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 163-164 

description  of  tribes  in  Vincennes  country  by  Volney  in  1804 ...  22 

first  settlers  in  Indiana 232 

friendliness  with  early  Quaker  settlers 54 

history  of  their  occupation  of  Indiana. 461-462 

in  and  around  Fort  Wayne,  1820 250 

living  near  Vincennes,  their  dress  and  habits 181 

location  of  Miami  village  on  Eel  river  by  Thomas  in  1818 135 

near  Wapaughkonnetta 253 

owners  of  land  in  central  Indiana 217 

pensions  received 249,  253 

pernicious  effects  from  .use  of  intoxicants 96 

price  obtained  for  lands  in  Indiana  sold  to  United  States,  1795.  .  233 

remains  of  wigwams  found  by  Thomas  in  1816 100 

retaliation  for  murder  of  Pottawotamie  chief 75 

schools,  1820 250 

tribes  and  numbers  described  by  Flint 455 

tribes  frequenting  Western   Indiana,   described  by   Brown   in 

Western  Gazetteer,  1817 145 

tribes  noted  by  Hutchins  in  1778 8 

INDIGO, 

raised  by  Shakers  at  Shakertown  in  1816 72 

INDUSTRIES, 

SEE  MANUFACTURES;  MILLS. 

followed  at  New  Harmony  in  Robert  Owen's  society. . .  .394,  425.  433 

lack  of  industry  described  at  Princeton,  by  Cobbett,  1828 510 

INFLUENZA, 

prevalence  at  New  Harmony  m  1826 412 

INGERSOL,  MR., 

near  White  River  mentioned  by  Reed 490 


INDEX  569 

INHABITANTS, 

SEE  EMIGRANTS;  SETTLERS.  PAGE 

commended  by  At  water,  1831 530 

predominance    of    former    inhabitants    of    Kentucky  in   south- 
western Indiana 65 

unfavorable  criticism  of  characteristics  by  Postel 524 

INNKEEPERS, 

SEE  TAVERNS. 
INSANITY, 

unknown 188,  232 

[NBECTS, 

army  worm  76 

bees 114 

causing  great  annoyance 246,  252,  384,  509,  511 

INTOXICATING  LIQUORS, 

drunkenness  among  Indians 181 

ineffectual  laws  governing  sale  to  Indians 249 

manufactured  at  Harmony  by  Rapp  society 425,  517 

at  Vevay 449 

manufactured  in  State,  1818 196 

pernicious  effects  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 96 

prices  at  Vincennes,  1816 103 

summary  method  of  dealing  with  drunkards  at  New  Harmony . .  381 

warning  against  use  in  writings  of  Thomas  in  1818 122 

IRON  ORE, 

deposits  in  Paoli  neighborhood  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 60 

found  on  White  River 221 

IRON  WEED, 

growth  in  Wabash  country  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 ..." 133 

J 
JACKSON  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 158 

JAILS, 

description  by  Thomas  in  1816 46 

log  jail  at  Vincennes  in  1816 106 

JEFFERSON. 

description  of  town  by  Ashe  in  1808 25 

JEFFERSON  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 156 

JEFFERSONVILLE, 

described  by  travelers 29,  39,  157,  206-7,  223,  450^  526 

JENNINGS,  REV.  MR., 

associate  of  Robert  Owens  at  New  Harmony 423,  436 

character  of  service  at  New  Harmony 376,  379,  386,  387 

pastor  and  officer  of  New  Harmony  infantry 370,  373,  395,  399 

JIMSON  WEED, 

existence  at  Vincennes  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 67 

JUSTICE, 

suborned  in  criminal  trials,  according  to  Postel,  1828 525 


570  INDEX 

K 

KATHTIPPACAMUNCK,  PAGE 

Indian  battle  in  1791 12 

nature  of  surrounding  country 14 

KENAPACOMAQUA, 

Indian  battle  in  campaign  of  1791 13 

KENNOMIC  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 141 

KENTUCKY, 

predominance  of  former  inhabitants  in  southwestern  Indiana.  .       65 

KICKAPOO  INDIANS, 

in  western  Indiana,  1817 145 

residence  near  Fort  Ouiatanon  noted  by  Hutchins  in  1778 8 

their  towns  the  objective  of  Indian  expedition  of  1791 13,  14 

KICKAPOO  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 141 

KNOBS,  THE, 

country  from  Knobs  to  east  branch  of  White  River 134 

described  by  Thomas  in  1816 50 

views  of  Volney  as  to  geological  formation 50 

KNOX  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 159 

most  populous  part  of  state  in  1819 224 

L 
LABYRINTH, 

at  New  Harmony,  built  by  Rapp  Society 543 

LAFAYETTE,  MARQUIS  DE, 

description  of  his  last  visit  to  Philadelphia  by  Duclos 536 

LAKES, 

bordering  Indiana,  described  by  Samuel  R.  Brown  in  Western 

Gazetteer,  1817 136 

numerous  in  northern  Indiana 215,  220 

LAND, 

near  Harmony,  described  by  Birkbeck 189-  190 

price  described  by  Birkbeck 172-73 

prices  in  Wabash  valley  in  1818 130 

price  of  improved  lands  in  1817 168 

sale  and  prices 145,  230-231 

value  in  the  Paoli  neighborhood  in  1816 59 

value  in  Vincennes  region  in  1816 83 

varieties  and  fertility 439-440 

LAND  OFFICES, 

irregularities  in  the  sale  of  public  lands  at  Vincennes 187 

LATITUDE  AND  LONGITUDE, 

given  by  Flint 443 

given  by  Postel 523 

given  by  Reed 497 

given  by  Mackenzie 244 


INDEX  571 

LAUNDRY  WORK,  PAGE 

prices  at  New  Harmony  in  1826 405 

LAWRENCEBURG, 

described  by  Flint  as  affected  by  floods 438 

described  by  travelers 148,  202,  223,  447 

place  of  publication  of  Dearborn  Gazette 105 

LAWRENCEVILLE, 

described  by  Forster 259 

LAWYERS, 

number  at  Vincennes  in  1816 ; 102 

LEBANON, 

described  by  Birkbeck 171 

LESUEUR,  MONS, 

eminent  naturalist  and  associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Har- 
mony  407,  436,  537,  546 

LETTERS, 

by  William  Pelham  written  in  1825  and  1826 360 

LEVEE, 

necessity  of  construction  pointed  out  by  Thomas  in  1818 132 

proper  pronunciation  of  word 135 

LEWIS.   MR., 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 422 

LIBRARY, 

at  Vevay  in  1817 155 

catalogue  of  books  brought  into  New  Harmony  by  Maclure. . .  .  407 

circulating  libraries  proposed  for  New  Harmony 374 

consignment  of  books  by  Mr.  Owen  for  New  Harmony  library .  .  400 

limited  in  number  and  extent  in  1818 196 

Vincennes  in  1818 105 

LICENSURE, 

first  granted  in  Indiana  to  T.  H.  Brown  at  Presbytery  in  Charles- 
town,  1824 487 

LINDLEY,  J., 

impressions  of  this  Quaker  leader  by  Thomas  in  1816 54 

LITERARY  SOCIETY, 

at  Vevay  in  1817 155 

LITTLE  BLUE  RIVER, 

described  by  travelers 213,  218 

LITTLE  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 137,  139 

LITTLE  VBRMILLION  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 140 

LIVERPOOL, 

village  described  by  Thomas  in  1816 : 65 

LIVONIA, 

meeting  of  Louisville  Presbytery,  1818 475 


572  INDEX 

LONGEVITY,  PAGE 

of  inhabitants  of  Vincennes  noticed  by  Thomas  in  1818 113 

LOST  RIVER, 

existence  and  characteristics  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 55 

in  Orange  county  described  by  Dana 197 

LOUGHERY'S  CREEK, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 136 

LOUISVILLE, 

described  by  Cobbett,  1828 509 

by  Volney  in  1804 19 

prices  of  commodities  noted  by  Melish 29 

M 
McCLURE,  D., 

mentioned  by  Isaac  Reed 463 

McCLURE,  WILLIAM, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 422,  430,  435 

removed  his  School  of  Industry  from  Philadelphia  to  New  Har- 
mony       537 

estimate  of  character  by  Pelham 407 

MACLURIA, 

No.  2  society  founded  by  Robert  Owen 428,  434 

MCDONALD,  CAPTAIN, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen,  at  New  Harmony 537 

McGREADY,  REV.  JAMES, 

organized  Presbyterian  church  at  Pisgah  1818,  at  Blue  River  and 
Livonia 494 

MACKENZIE,  ENEAS, 

biographical  sketch 244 

McNAMEE,  DR., 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  Nee  Harmony : 424 

MADISON, 

described  by  travelers 46,  205,  206,  449,  464 

place  of  publication  of  Indiana  Republican 105 

MADISON  PRESBYTERY, 

formed  in  1825 496 

MADISONVILLE, 

described  by  Postel,  1828. 524 

MAILS, 

carried  horseback  and  by  wagons 535 

routes  leading  to  New  Harmony  in  1825 401 

MAIZE, 

SEE  CORN. 
MAMMOTH, 

reflections  of  Thomas  on  bone  found  in  western  Indiana.  .  62 


INDEX  573 

MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS,  PAGE 

described  by  Mason 235-236 

by  Warden 232 

of  farmers  described  by  Birkbeck 174 

of  people  of  Indiana  with  stangers,  gruff  and  impolite,  1827.  .  .  .      506 

MANUFACTURES, 

SEE  MILLS. 

at  Brookville 454 

at  New  Harmony  by  Robert  Owen's  society 421,  516,  517,  528 

at  Vevay 449 

extent  noticed  by  Imlav  in  1793 10 

at  Vincennes  in  1816. 102 

of  leather  goods  and  furniture  in  State,  1818 196 

value  in  1810 231 

MAPLE  SUGAR, 

manufacture  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 59 

MARKET  HOUSES, 

number  at  Vincennes  in  1816 102 

MARKETS, 

for  Indiana  products,  1817 165 

Natchez  and  New  Orleans  markets  for  Indiana  products 196 

MARRIAGE. 

SEE  CELIBACY. 

ceremony  described  by  Birkbeck 174 

civil  contract  and  French  laws  introduced  by  Robert  Owen  in  his 

society  at  New  Harmony 435 

requirements  for  solemnization,  1818 499 

MARTIN,  REV.  WM.  W., 

pastor  of  Presbyterian  church  at  Salem 495 

MASCONTIN  RIVER. 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 138 

MASON,  RICHARD  LEE, 

biographical  sketch 235 

MASSASSINWAY  RIVER, 

described  by  travelers 135,  137,  215,  219 

MAUMEE  RIVER, 

described  by  travelers 241 

MAXIMILLIAN,  PRINCE, 

account  of  visit  to  New  Harmony 548 

MEATS, 

grown  in  the  State,  1818 196 

MEDICINAL  SPRING. 

near  Jeffersonville,  described  in  Western  Gazetteer 157 

MEDICINES, 

suggestions  as  to  use  by  Thomas  in  1818 123 

MEETINGS, 

frequency  at  New  Harmony 408 

of  Friends  in  vicinity  of  Paoii 54 


574  INDEX 

MELISH,  JOHN,  PAGE 

biographical  sketch 29 

MERCHANDISE, 

money  only  accepted  at  Vincennes  in  1816 102 

MEROM, 

described  by  travelers 124,  210,  451 

METHODISTS, 

assemblage  of  members  at  New  Albany  in  1825 398 

at  Vincennes  mentioned  by  Forster 257 

church  at  New  Albany,  1818 468,  473 

numerous  in  Indiana  in  1827 503 

pioneer  preachers  over  entire  state 534 

services  at  New  Harmony  in  1825 380,  388 

MIAMI  INDIANS, 

description  by  Volney  in  1804 

in  western  Indiana 145 

numbers  in  1820 249 

village  on  Eel  River 135 

MIAMI  OF  THE  LAKES, 

SEE  MATTMEE  RIVER. 
described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 140 

MIAMI  RIVER, 

described  by  travelers 241 

MICA  SLATE, 

existence  noted  by  Thomas  in  Vincennes  region  in  1816 69 

MILFORD  MEETING-HOUSE, 

near  Milton,  mentioned  by  Forster 267 

MILITARY  DRILL, 

by  the  boys  in  Robert  Owen's  society  at  New  Harmony 424 

MILITARY  EXEMPTION, 

custom  of  New  Harmony  society  to  pay  fine  in  lieu  of  service . . .     258 

MILITIA, 

drill  of  New  Harmony  infantry  company 382,  388 

oath  of  officers  to  suppress  duelling 126 

organization  of  company  at  New  Harmony 374,  395,  432 

use  of  Sunday  for  drills  and  parades  at  New  Harmony 399 

MILLS, 

at  New  Harmony  built  by  Rapp  Society 543 

at  Vincennes,  -1819 211 

floating  grist  mills  in  Ohio  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 42 

in  Brookville,  on  the  Whitewater  river  and  in  Lawrenceburgh .  .  202 

in  New  Albany,  1819 208 

steam  mill  at  Harmony  in  1818 126 

toll  exacted  by  floating  mills T35 

toll  for  grinding  at  horse  mills  in  1818 135 

MILLS,  REV.  SAMUEL  J.f 

of  Jeffersonville  mentioned  by  Reed 477 

MINERAL  SPRINGS, 

French  Lick  visited  by  Thomas  in  1816 ,  .       60 


INDEX  575 

MINERALS,  PAGE 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer 170 

existence  noted  in  topographical  survey  of  Hutchins  in  1778. ...         8 

found  in  Indiana 11,  47,  129,  221 

iron  ore 60,  221 

nitre 47 

salt 147 

salt,  coal,  copper,  silver  and  iron  found 456 

salt-petre 197,  222,  457-60 

MINISTERS, 

circuit  preachers 380 

of  Presbyterian  church  men  of  learning,  1827 502 

MISSIONS, 

Indiana  as  a  missionary  field,  1818 481-483 

work  of  Isaac  Reed  for  the  Presbyterian  church 463-505 

work  of  William  Forster  for  the  Society  of  Friends,  1821 ....  256-267 

MONTHLY  MEETINGS, 

of  Friends  in  vicinity  of  Paoli 54 

MORRIS,  JACOB, 

mentioned  by  Forster 266 

MOSQUITOES, 

annoyance  of  New  Harmony  settlement  noted  by  Pelham 384 

MOUNT  VERNON. 

arrival  of  Pelham  in  1825 367 

described  by  Bernhard 418 

river  port  on  Ohio  for  New  Harmony 537 

source  of  unfavorable  reports  on  New  Harmony  society 375 

MUDDY  FORK  OF  WHITE  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 138 

MUSIC, 

devotees  in  Harmony  colony 335 

in  Robert  Owen's  society  at  New  Harmony 423 

MUSQUITON  INDIANS, 

residence  near  Fort  Ouiatanon  noted  by  Hutchins  in  1778. ...         8 

MUSSELS, 

use  for  lime  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 118 

N 
NAMES, 

sameness  of  names  of  towns  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 125 

NAVIGABLE  WATERS, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 165 

described  by  Reed 497 

enumerated  by  Warden 220-221 

insufficient,  according  to  Post-el,  depriving  Indiana  of  a  market.     523 

Potoka  river 128 

Wabash  River 37,  112,  418 

White  River 112,  146 


576  INDEX 

NAVIGATION,  PAGE 

boats  moved  by  horses  on  deck 363 

description  of  Ohio  river  steamboat  of  1825 361 

extent  on  Ohio  River  in  1810 31 

over  Falls  of  the  Ohio 30 

profanity  of  steamboat  men  in  1825 362 

NEEF,  MR., 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 422,  424,  429,  435 

NEGROES, 

SEE  SLAVERY. 
NEHESAWEY  INDIANS, 

likeness  to  people  of  Tartary 17 

NEW  ALBANY, 

described  by  travelers 157,  207-208,  235,  450,  468,  473,  521,  526 

first  Sunday  School  formed,  1818 474 

religious  conditions,  1818 480 

NEW  HARMONY  (OWEN  COLONY), 

SEE  HARMONY  (RAPP  COLONY). 

absence  of  ceremony  in  social  greetings 369 

agriculture  perfected  in  this  colony,  1828 514 

amount  of  allowances  to  member 396 

announcement  of  publication  of  newspaper 376 

applications  for  membership 372.  401 

arrival  of  Mr.  Owen,  January,  1826 405 

''Boat  Ix>ad  of  Knowledge"  migrating  from  Pittsburgh  to  the 

colony  down  the  Ohio 407,  537 

business  methods  at  public  store 371 

character  of  committee  in  charge  in  Owen's  absence 375 

character  of  instructors  brought  over  by  Mr.  Owen  in  1826 ....  405 

character  of  tavern  keeper 402 

charges  at  tavern 375 

circulation  of  Gazette 395 

colony  described  briefly  by  Forster 258 

comparative  youth  of  members  of  community  in  1825 400 

conditions  in  community  in  1827  described  by  Wm.  Creese  Pel- 
ham  414 

constitution,  discussion  and  adoption 406,  408 

dances  and  concerts 381 

described  by  Bernhard 419 

described  by  Flint 452 

described  by  Pelham  in  1825 378 

editorial  methods  in  Gazette  office 399 

effect  of  Mr.  Owen's  visit  in  1826 409 

forms  of  religious  service 370 

functions  of  committee  in  settlement  of  wages  of  employes 382 

gardens,  farms  and  institutions  described  by  Cobbett,  1828.  .514—520 

Gazette  devoted  primarily  to  propaganda 396 

how  memberships  acquired 394 

ideas  as  to  individual  wealth 392 

letters  of  William  Pelham  in  1825  and  1826 360 

liberality  of  expression  of  beliefs 377 

location  and  description  of  church 369 

methods  of  life 373 

method  of  reimbursement  of  retiring  members  of  community.  .  394 

methods  of  selecting  employments 372 

misrepresentations  by  religious  sects 398 

offer  of  enterprise  by  Owen  to  society 365 

officers  under  constitution  adopted  in  1826 409 

organization  of  militia  company 374 


INDEX  577 

NEW  HARMONY— Continued.  PAGE 

organization  of  societies  at  other  places 374 

principle  of  self  support 393 

provisions  against  scheming  adventurers • 397 

reasons  for  unfavorable  reports  of  community .  375,  383,  393,  394,  401 

scarcity  of  house  room  in  1825 393 

scarcity  of  provisions  for  winter  of  1825-1826 381 

serious  tone  of  every  day  conversation 371 

simplicity  of  funeral  ceremonies 382 

summary  methods  of  dealing  with  drunkards 381 

tolerance  of  religious  beliefs 378 

value  of  buildings  and  improvements  sold  to  Robert  Owen .  .  538-539 

wages  allowed  for  work 389 

weather  in  January,  1826 404 

in  winter  of  1825. 398 

working  hour  schedule 394 

NEW  LEXINGTON, 

described  by  travelers 48,  156 

meeting  of  Louisville  Presbytery,  1819   476 

NEW  LIGHTS, 

several  societies  existing  in  1827 503 

NEW  PURCHASE, 

entry  by  Thomas  in  1816 88 

NEW  SWITZERLAND, 

described  by  travelers 154,  522 

NEWBY,  THOMAS, 

mentioned  by  Forster ' 266 

NEWCASTLE, 

described  by  Reed  as  destitute  of  religious  society 463 

NEWSOME,  THOMAS, 

mentioned  by  Forster 266 

NEWSPAPERS, 

announcement  of  publication  of  New  Harmony  Gazette,  and 

first  issue 376,  387 

character  of  contents  of  New  Harmony  Gazette 396,  404 

circulation  and  subscription  price  of  New  Harmony  Gazette.  .  .      395 

description  of  press  used  at  New  Harmony 384 

editorial  method  in  New  Harmony  Gazette  office 381,  385,  399 

exchange  of  New  Harmony  Gazette 384,  395 

list  of  papers  in  Indiana  in  1818 105 

offer  of  editorship  of  New  Harmony  Gazette  to  Wm.  Pelham.  .      412 
published  at  Brookville,  Vevay,  Lexington,  Corydon  and  Vin- 

cennes,  1819 232 

published  at  Vevay,  1828 448 

NINE  MILE  PRAIRIE, 

small  settlement  mentioned  by  Reed 490 

NITRE, 

existence  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 47 

OATH, 

militia  officers  to  suppress  duelling 126 

T-37 


578  INDEX 

OFFICERS,  PAGE 

under  constitution  of  New  Harmony  community  in  1826 409 

OHIO  RIVER, 

bottom  described  by  Birkbeck 176 

channel  described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 157 

description  of  bordering  lands  by  Imlay  in  1793 9 

description  of  falls  at  Jeffersonville 526 

efforts  to  clear  Channel 437 

extending  on  boundary  472  miles 212,  218 

improvement  of  falls,  described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer.     168 

navigation  over  Falls  of  the  Ohio 30,  31 

value  of  canals  around  rapids  described  by  Dana,  1819 207 

water  highway  from  Cincinnati  to  New  Orleans 182-183 

OPOSSUMS, 

described  by  Thomas  in  1818 116 

ORANGE  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 158 

ORCHARDS, 

SEE  FRUITS. 

at  New  Harmony 517 

in  Wayne  county ~>:>  I 

planted  by  Rapp  at  New  Harmony 429 

OUITANON, 

a  small  fort  described  by  Warden 224 

described  by  travelers 8,  451 

OUITANON  INDIANS, 

residence  near  Fort  Ouitanon  noted  by  Hutchins  in  1778 8 

OWEN  COUNTY, 

organization  of  churches 479-484 

OWEN,  ROBERT, 

account  of  arrival  at  Baltimore 397 

arrival  at  New  Harmony,  January,  1826 405 

character  of  address  on  arrival  at  New  Harmony 405 

colonv  and  social  system  described  by  Postel 528-529 

by  Flint 453 

confidence  in  his  ability  evinced  by  community 393 

departure  from  Harmony  with  Rapp  in  1825 416 

endorsement  of  community  idea  by  Hebert 339 

estimate  of  character  by  Pelham 407,  409 

explanation  of  system  to  members  of  congress 398 

offer  of  New  Harmony  establishment  to  society 365,  393 

purchaser  of  New  Harmony,  and  leader  of  colony 420-436 

story  of  his  colony  by  a  boy  educated  therein 537-548 

view  of  society 340 

OWEN,  ROBERT  DALE, 

account  of  arrival  at  Baltimore  in  1825 .  397 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony .  537 

reading  of  writings  as  part  of  religious  service  at  New  Harmony  379 

reorganization  of  New  Harmony  School 399 


INDEX  579 

OWEN,  WILLIAM,  PAGE 

authorship  of  articles  in  New  Harmony  Gazette 396 

conduct  of  religious  service  at  New  Harmony 383 

description  by  Pelham  in  1825 - 383 

estimate  of  ability  by  Pelham  in  1825 400 

letter  to  William  Pelham  in  1825 416 

P 
PANTHER'S  CREEK, 

described. in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 140 

PAOLT, 

described  by  Dana,  1819 209 

PAORY  INDIANS, 

description  by  Volney  in  1804 22 

PARKE,  B., 

entertainer  of  Thomas  in  1816 86 

PARROQUET, 

description  by  Thomas  in  1816 • 45 

destroyers  of  wheat 59 

favorite  residence  in  French  Lick  country 60 

habits  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 80 

PAWPAW, 

described  by  Thomas 59,  115 

PEAR  LASH, 

use  as  medicine  recommended  by  Thomas  in  1818 123 

PECAN  TREES, 

contrasted  with  other  nut  bearing  trees  by  Thomas  in  1816.  ...        91 

described  by  Thomas 90,  115 

existence  in  Shakertown  vicinity  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816.  ...       73 

PEGG,  JAMES, 

mentioned  by  Forster 268 

PELHAM,  WILLIAM, 

becomes  member  of  New  Harmony  society -. 373 

description  of  New  Harmony  in  1825 378 

employment  in  New  Harmony  with  public  store  and  newspaper 

... 372,  377 

invitation  to  New  Harmonv  in  1825 416 

letters  written  in  1825  and "1826 360 

offer  of  editorship  of  New  Harmony  Gazette 412 

plans  for  publication  of  New  Harmony  Gazette 379 

PELHAM,  WILLIAM  CREESE, 

letter  on  schools  and  educational  society  of  New  Harmony.  . .  .     414 

PELICANS, 

existence  in  Indiana  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 116 

PENNYPACKER,  MR., 

mentioned  by  Duclos  as  the  miller  at  the  Cutt-off 548 

PENROSE,  MARK, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 537 

T— 38 


580  INDEX 

PENSIONS,  PAGE 

received  by^Indians 249,  253 

PERRY  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 163 

PERSIMMON, 

fruit  described  by  Thomas  in  1818 115 

PESTALOZZIAN  PLAN, 

adoption  for  school  work  at  New  Harmony 411 

PETOKA  RIVER, 

SEE  POTOKA  RIVER. 

PETRIFACTIONS, 

existence  in  country  between  Ohio  and  Wabash  rivers 134 

existence  noted  at  Vincennes  by  Thomas  in  1816 68 

PHIQUEPAL,  PROF., 

teacher  at  New  Harmony 407-414 

PHYSICIANS, 

number  at  Vincennes  in  1816 102 

PIGEONS, 

countless  numbers  found  in  Indiana 456 

deadening  trees  at  roosting  place 521 

description  of  flight  by  Hebert  in  1825 337 

massacre  described  at  roosts  by  Thomas  in  1816 49 

PINE  CREEK, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 140 

PISGAH  CHURCH, 

near  Madison,  1818 494 

PITTSBURGH, 

source  of  supplies  of  dry  goods,  hardware,  etc.,  1818 196 

PLAIN  DEALER, 

published  at  Brookville  in  1818 105 

PLANTS, 

SEE  BOTANICAL  CHARACTERISTICS. 
POMME  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 139 

POPULATION, 

in  1826  given  by  Flint 440 

of  Indiana  in  1828  given  by  Flint 443 

given  by  Postel  in  1828 524 

increase  from  1818  to  1826 499 

of  counties  in  1815 147-48 

of  Indiana,  1817 168 

in  1818 191 

of  thirteen  counties  in  1810 223-224 

rapid  increase,  given  by  counties 200-201 

PORCUPINES, 

existence  in  Indiana  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 116 

PORK, 

prices  paid  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 


INDEX  581 

PORTAGES,  PAGE 

between  different  rivers  in  northern  Indiana,  used  by  French  and 

Indians 193-194 

between  rivers  in  Indiana,  1817 165-67 

letter  by  Capt.  James  Riley  concerning  possibility  of  canals  be- 
tween Wabash  and  Miami 241-242 

POSEY  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 163 

POST  VINCIENT, 

location  described  by  Hutchins  in  1778 8 

POST  OUIATANON, 

described  by  Hutchins  in  1778 8 

POST  ST.  VINCENT, 

location  noted  by  Imlay  in  1793 9 

POSTAGE, 

6  Y±  to  25  cents  in  Spanish  coin 535 

POSTEL,  KARL, 

biographical  sketch 522 

POTATOES, 

adaptability  of  soil  in  lower  Wabash  Valley  for  growth 72 

prices  paid  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

POTOKA  RIVER  (OR  PETOKA), 

described  by  travelers 138,  213,  219 

navigability  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 128 

POTTER'S  CLAY, 

found  in  abundance 221 

POVERTY, 

of  backswoodsmen,  described  by  Mason 236,  237 

PRAIRIE  CHICKENS, 

described  by  Thomas 81,  117 

PRAIRIE  SQUIRREL, 

described  by  Thomas  in  1816 78 

PRAIRIE  WOLF, 

described  by  Thomas  in  1816 78 

PRAIRIES, 

attractiveness  described  by  Birkbeck 188-189 

described  by  Dana  as  river  and  upland 198 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 142-146 

beauty  and  fertility  described  by  Flint 444 

observations  by  Thomas  in  1815  on  fertility  of  soil 131 

proper  pronunciation  of  word 135 

theories  for  existence  advanced  by  Thomas 64,  77,  78 

PRESBYTERIAN  EDUCATION  SOCIETY, 

formed  at  Presbytery  and  later  for  State,  1818-1826 502 


582  INDEX 

PRESBYTERIANS,  PAGE 

at  Vincennes  mentioned  by  Forster 257 

church  at  New  Albany,  1818 468,  473 

church  at  Vincennes 485 

churches  in  Indiana  1818 481-505 

fifty  churches  existing  in  Indiana  in  1827 503 

Ministers   476,  487,  488,  493,  495,  496,  502 

Salem  Presbytery  formed  in  1823 486 

send  missionaries  Isaac  Reed  and  William  W.  Martin  through- 
out Indiana 463-505 

PRICES, 

SEE  FOOD. 

of  food  stuffs  in  1817 146 

of  lands,  animals  and  food  stuffs  in  1817 231 

of  public  lands 130,  161 

PRINCETON, 

described  by  travelers 113,  162,  182,  186,  211,  520 

limestone  in  vicinity 129 

preponderance  of  Kentuckians  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 113 

PRINCIPAL  TOWNS, 

enumerated  and  described  by  Reed,  1827 500-501 

PRINTING, 

inconsiderable  in  the  State  in  1818 196 

number  of  offices  at  Vincennes  in  1816 102 

PROCTOR,  REV.  DAVID  C., 

mentioned  by  Reed,  1822 485 

PRODUCTS, 

SEE  COAL;  MINERALS. 

cotton 9,  18,  72,  217 

dyes 59 

ginseng 149,  222,  251 

grass 35,  446 

grown  in  the  State,  1818 133,  195 

indigo 72 

maple  sugar 59 

of  Indiana  described  by  Flint 445 

by  Postel 523 

tobacco 8,  11,  18,  59,  151,  217,  454 

vegetables,  grains  and  fruits  described  by  Dana 200 

PROFANITY, 

of  steamboat  men  in  1825    362 

PRONUNCIATION, 

levee 135 

prairie 135 

Vincennes ...  135 

Wabash 135 

words  in  Wabash  country 132, 135 

PROPHET,  THE, 

assembly  of  forces  noted  by  Melish 32 


INDEX  583 

PUBLIC  LANDS,  PAGE 

belonging  to  United  States  near  Fort  Wayne,  1820 251 

dissatisfaction  with  privileges  granted  Canadian  volunteers ....       79 

French  grants 77 

in  Indiana  sold  by  Indians  to  United  States 233 

land  officers  at  Vincennes  in  1816 83 

open  to  settlement  1819  and  1820 237,  242 

prices  and  sales  described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 161 

prices  in  Wabash  Valley  in  1818 130 

titles  in  Xew  Purchase  in  1816 88 

title  of  French  settlers  confirmed  by  United  States 101 

PUBLICATIONS. 

religious  books  by  Isaac  Reed,  1825 488 

PUTAWATOMY  INDIANS, 

in  western  Indiana 145 

PUTNAM  COUNTY, 

Presbyterian  church  organized,  1825 488-489 

PYANKISHAW  INDIANS, 

description  by  Volney  in  1804 22 

residence  near  Fort  Ouiatanon  noted  by  Hutchins.in  1778 8 

QUAKERS, 

SEE  SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS. 

QUARRIES, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 146 

whetstone  quarrv  in  French  Lick  vicinity  noted  by  Thomas  in 
1816 : 60 

R 
RABBITS, 

brown  rabbit  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 79 

RAISIN  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 140 

RAPP,  GEORGE, 

work  at  Harmony  commented  upon  by  Cobbett,  1828 515-520 

RAPP  SOCIETY, 

SEE  HARMONY  COLONY. 

REDWOOD  CREEK, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 140 

REED  CANE, 

grown  in  southern  Indiana 446 

REED,  ISAAC, 

biographical  sketch 463 

REFORMED  PRESBYTERY  OR  COVENANTERS, 

two  or  three  societies  existing  in  Indiana  in  1827 503 

REGISTRATION. 

of  applicants  for  membership  in  New  Harmony  community.  . .  .     372 


584  INDEX 

REJOICING  RIVER,             .  PAGE 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 138 

RELIGION, 

Baptists  prevailing  sect,  number  of  churches 232 

conditions  described  by  missionary  Isaac  Reed 463-605 

conditions  described  by  William  Forster  of  the  Society  of 

Friends .256-67 

conditions  in  New  Albany  in  1818 480 

different  sects  represented  in  Indiana,  1826 497,  503 

lack  of  it,  reason  for  separation  of  No.  2  colony  from  Robert 

Owen's  society  at  New  Harmony 428-429 

religious  disputations  at  New  Harmony 370 

tolerance  of  beliefs  at  New  Harmony 378 

RELIGIOUS  LIBERTY, 

insisted  upon  in  Robert  Owen's  colony  at  New  Harmony 420 

RELIGIOUS  OBSERVANCE, 

SEE  SABBATH  OBSERVANCE. 
form  of  service  of  Rev.  Jennings  at  New  Harmony 379 

RELIGIOUS  SERVICES, 

held  at  Mount  Vernon 437 

itinerant  preachers  at  New  Harmony 380 

RELIGIOUS  SOCIETIES, 

SEE  CHURCHES. 
RICE, 

adaptability  of  soil  to  cultivation  of  mountain  rice 81 

RICHARD'S  CREEK, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 139 

RICHMOND, 

described  by  Forster,  1822 268 

RILEY,  CAPT.  JAMES, 

letter  to  Corydon  Gazette  describing  topographical  conditions 
in  Indiana 241-243 

RISING  SUN, 

described  by  travelers 42,  148,  204,  448 

RIVER  PRAIRIES, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 142 

RIVERS, 

described  by  travelers 136-141,  212-215,  217-220  ,239-40 

effect  of  clearing  ground  on  size,  in  recollections  of  Coffin 533 

Ohio,  WTabash,  Illinois  and  Maumee  given  by  Darby 192-193 

ROADS, 

corduroy,  described  by  Bernhard 419 

leading  from  Vincennes 232 

provisions  for  improvements 460 

ROBINS, 

existence  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 117 


INDEX  585 

ROCKY  RIVER,  PAGE 

described  by  travelers 139.  214.  219 

ROMAN  CATHOLICS, 

one  church  existing  in  Indiana  in  1827 503 

S 
SABBATH  OBSERVANCE, 

at  New  Harmony 431 

at  Presbyteries,  Camp-Meetings  or  Conferences,  1827 505 

at  Terre'Haute  in  1826 493 

at  Vincennes  in  1818 106 

described  by  Reed 464-472 

in  Robert  Owen's  colony  at  New  Harmony. 453,  515,  529 

lax  in  neighborhoods  without  churches 534 

parade  and  drill  of  New  Harmony  militia -. .  .     399 

SABBATH  SCHOOL  SOCIETY, 

organized  in  1825  and  called  State  Union  Society 502 

ST.  JOSEPH'S  OF  LAKE  MICHIGAN, 

described  by  travelers 140,  215,  220 

ST.  JOSEPH'S  OF  THE  MIAMI, 

described  by  travelers 220 

ST.  JOSEPH'S  RIVER, 

described  by  travelers 140,  241 

ST.  MARIE  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 139 

ST.  MARY'S  RIVER, 

described  by  travelers 247,  252 

possibility  of  canal  to  Wabash  River 242 

ST.  VINCENNES, 

described  by  Cutler  in  1812 38 

SAISTARE,  MISS  LUCIA, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 432 

SALEM, 

described  by  travelers 52,  158,  209,  451 

SALEM  PRESBYTERY, 

formed  for  Indiana,  1823 486 

SALISBURY, 

described  by  travelers 154,  202 

SALIVATION, 

of  horses  by  eating  grasses  and  plants 58 

SALT, 

existence  at  French  Lick  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 60 

manufacture  at  New  Lexington  in  1816 49 

mines  described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 147 

prices  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

SALT-PETRE, 

found  in  great  quantities  in  a  cave  in  southern  Indiana 

197,  222,  457-460 


586  INDEX 

SALT  SPRINGS,  PAGE 

found  on  Wabash  River  and  Salina  creek 222 

in  Jefferson  County,  1817 .  .  156 

location  in  Paoli  neighborhood  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 57 

location  noted  by  Cutler  in  1812 38 

existence  in  Wabash  country  noted  by  Ashe  in  1808 28 

existence  noticed  by  Hutehins  in  1778 8 

SALUTATIONS, 

"stranger"  common  form  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 66 

SARSAPARILLA, 

grown  near  Fort  Wayne 251 

SAWKIE  INDIANS, 

description  by  Volney  in  1804 22 

SAY,  THOMAS, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony. .  .407,  426,  537,  546,  547 

marriage  and  removal  from  New  Harmony 416 

SCHNEE,  MR., 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 528 

SCHOOL  OF  INDUSTRY, 

taught  by  Maclure  and  Madam  Fretageot  at  New  Harmony. .  .  544 

SCHOOLS, 

SEE  ACADEMIES;  EDUCATION. 

adoption  of  Pestalozzian  method  at  New  Harmony 411 

at  Vincennes  in  1818 105 

by  Society  of  Friends  at  Fort  St.  Mary's 253 

common  schools  taught  by  men,  1827 501 

established  very  early  in  each  settlement 460 

few  and  without  system,  according  to  recollections  of  Coffin.  .  .  534 

few  public  schools,  many  private,  1818 195 

for  Indians  at  Fort  Wayne,  1820 250 

instructors  brought  by  Mr.  Owen  to  New  Harmony  in  1826 ....  407 

letter  of  William  Creese  Pelham  on  New  Harmony  schools ....  414 

reorganization  by  Robert  Dale  Owen  at  New  Harmony 399 

SCOTT,  REV.  S.  T., 

Presbyterian  pastor  at  Vincennes  about  1825 496 

SCRIBNER,  JOEL, 

of  New  Albany,  mentioned  by  Mr.  Reed 468,  478 

SEARLE,  THOMAS  C., 

of  Madison,  mentioned  by  Reed 477 

Presbyterian  pastor  at  Madison,  1819 495 

SETTLERS, 

SEE  EMIGRANTS. 

characteristics  outlined  by  Birkbeck 184-185 

French  and  Indians  at  Vincennes,  1817 160 

in  Indiana,  described  by  Birkbeck,  1818 176 

SHAKERS, 

appearance  in  New  Harmony  community '. , 397 

characteristics  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 72 

one  church  existing  in  Indiana  in  1827 503 

reflections  of  Thomas  in  1816  on  principles  of  society 71 

settlers  at  Shakertown  on  the  Wabash.  .  451 


INDEX  587 

SHAKERTOWN,  PAGE 

described  by  travelers,                                                                       71,  451 

SHAXESVILLE, 

described  by  Teas 252,  254 

SHAWANOESE  INDIANS, 

in  western  Indiana 145 

SHEEP, 

attempts  to  raise  merino  sheep  described  by  Birkbeck 175 

raised  at-New  Harmony 517 

SHELBY  RAVEN, 

Lewis's  Tavern  described  by  Forster 256 

SHIPPINGPORT, 

described  by  Cobbett,  1828 509 

effect  of  drouth  on  shipping 235 

SILVER, 

found  near  Ouitanon 28,  38,  221 

SISTAIRE,  LUCY, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 537 

SKUNKS, 

existence  in  Indiana  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 116 

SLAVERY, 

at  Vincennes  mentioned  by  Forster 257 

condition  as  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 85 

discussion  of  its  incorporation  into  state  government 440 

mentioned  by  Mackenzie.  . .  ; 245 

number  of  slaves  in  territory  noted  by  Melish  in  1806-1811 ....  34 

prices  of  slaves  in  Louisville  in  1806-1811 29 

SMALL-POX, 

means  used  for  its  extermination 188 

SMITH,  REV.  DANIEL, 

of  Jeff ersonville,  mentioned  by  Reed 477 

SNAKES, 

at  New  Harmony 430 

common  in  wooded  lands 223 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 146,  170 

in  Orange  County 158 

kinds  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 82 

poisonous  and  others  found 53,  456 

SNOW, 

depth  at  Vincennes  in  seasons  prior  to  1818 108 

sleighing  season  noted  by  Thomas  in  southern  Indiana  in  1816- 

1818 110 

SOCIETY, 

attempt  to  unify  all  classes  at  New  Harmony 431 

conditions  described  by  Birkbeck,  1818 188-189 

impressions  of  Ashe  in*  1804 26 

impressions  of  Volney  in  1804 17 

impressions  of  Melish,  1806-1811 29 

manners  and  character  in  1819  described  by  Warden 232 

promulgated  by  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 420 


588  INDEX 

SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS,  PACK 

customary  to  open  a  "Friend's  School"  at  all  meeting  places.  .  .  534 

immunity  from  violence  at  hands  of  Indians 54 

monthly  meetings  in  vicinity  of  Paoli 54 

numerous  in  Wayne  County 532 

owner  of  grist  mill  at  Fort  St.  Mary's 253 

settlement  near  Salem  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 53 

several  societies  existing  in  Indiana  in  1827 503 

woman  preacher  at  New  Albany,  1828 521 

work  of  minister  William  Forster  through  Indiana,  1821 256-267 

SOIL, 

around  Fort  Wavne  described  bv  Capt.  James  Riley 243 

described  by  travelers " 18,  32,  144-47,  236 

•  fertility  indicated  by  denseness  of  Indian  population  in  early 

days 455 

nature  of  soil  in  Vincennes  vicinity  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816.  .  68 

of  southern  Indiana,  given  by  Warden 216 

of  the  praries  unusually  fertile 198-200 

views  on  fertility  by  Thomas  in  1818 130 

SPEAKMAN,  MR., 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 537 

SPRING  CFEEK  PRAIRIE, 

described  by  Thomas  in  1816 96 

SPRINGFIELD, 

described  by  Bernhard 419 

SPRINGS, 

SEE  SALT  SPRINGS. 

chalybeate 221 

Half -moon  spring 57 

in  southern  Indiana,  large  enough  for  water  power 197 

medicinal 157 

sulphur 60 

SQUIRRELS, 

varieties  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 ... 78 

SIAGE  COACHES, 

made  without  doors  in  1827 506 

STALAGMITES, 

existence  in  country  between  Ohio  and  Wabash  river 134 

STATE  SEMINARY, 

located  at  Bloomington,  taught  by  a  Presbyterian  minister,  1827.  501 

STATE  UNION  SOCIETY, 

organized  in  1825  for  promoting  Sabbath  Schools 502 

STATES, 

boundary  suggestion  by  Imlay  in  1793 9 

STEAM  MILLS, 

at  New  Harmony 517-518 

at  Vincennes,  1818 184 

erection  at  Vincennes  in  1816 106 

in  Robert  Owen's  society  at  New  Harmony 425 


INDEX  589 

STEAMBOATS,  .  PAGE 

description  of  Ohio  river  boats  in  1825 361 

dimensions  of  largest  in  world  in  1819  at  Shipping  Port 235 

navigation  of  Wabash  forecast  by  Thomas  in  1818 112 

on  the  Ohio  River,  passenger  tariff,  1828 510 

STEEPLE  HOUSE, 

meeting  place  in  New  Harmony 404,  405,  408 

STONE, 

SEE  QUARRIES. 

found  in  Jefferson  County,  1817 156 

unusual  formation  purchased  by  Mr.  Rapp  and  placed  at  New 
Harmony 426^27 

STRAWBERRIES, 

growth  in  country  above  Ft.  Harrison  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816.       98 
ripening  season  in  Vincennes  region  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818.  .      108 

SUBTERRANEAN  STREAMS, 

existence  and  characteristics  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 55 

in  Orange  county 197 

SUGAR, 

adaptability  of  country  for  raising  and  manufacture  noted  by 

Imlay  in  1793 10 

prices  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

SULPHUR  SPRINGS, 

existence  in  French  Lick  neighborhood  noted  by  Thomas  in 
1816 60 

SUNDAY  SCHOOLS, 

first  one  formed  at  New  Albany,  1818 474 

SWAMPS, 

near  Wabash  River  need  drainage 511 

possibility  of  affording  water  power 242 

SWANS, 

existence  in  Indiana  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 116 

SWEET  POTATOES, 

adaptability  of  soil  in  lower  Wabash  country  for  growth 72 

SWISS  COLONY. 

at  New  Switzerland,  described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer.  154-5 
at  Vevay ,  grape  growers 448,  508 

SWITZERLAND  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 154 

T 

TANNER'S  CREEK, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 136 

TANNERIES, 

.  business  at  Vincennes  in  1816 .  .  102 


590  INDEX 

TAVERNS,  PAGE 

at  New  Harmony,  1828 515 

at  Shelby  Raven  described  by  Forster 256 

Clark's  Hotel  at  Vincennes  recommended  by  Atwater 530 

criticism  on  uncleanliness  by  Thomas  in  1816 43 

Hawkins',  described  by  Birkbeck 178 

in  New  Harmony,  described  by  Bernhard 419 

Jenkins's  at  New  Albany,  makes  exorbitant  charge,  1828 521 

Judge  Chamber's 521 

number  and  rates  at  Vincennes  in  1816 102,  103 

Pumpkin  Vine  keeper  at  New  Harmony 402 

rates  and  customs  at  New  Harmony  in  1825 386,  404 

TEA, 

growth  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 94 

prices  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

TEA  KETTLE  BRANCH  OF  WHITE  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 138 

TEAS,  THOMAS  SCATTERGOOD, 

biographical  sketch 246 

TERRE  HAUTE, 

described  by  travelers 211,  451 

establishment  described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 161 

Presbyterian  church  visited  by  Isaac  Reed,.  1824 487 

TERRE  HAUTE  PRAIRIE, 

described  by  Thomas  in  1816 94 

THEAKAKI  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 141 

THERMOMETER, 

register  at  Vincennes,  1816-1818 107 

THOMAS,  DAVID, 

travels  in  Indiana  country  in  1816 42 

TIEBOUT,  CORNELIUS, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 537,  546 

TIPPECANOE  RIVER, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 32,  139,  214,  220,  244 

TOBACCO, 

adaptability  of  soil  to  raising  noted  by  Hutchins  in  1778 8 

adaptability  of  soil  to  growth  noted  by  Imlay  in  1793 11 

crops  described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 151 

culture  by  Lindley  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 59 

grown  at  Brookville 454 

growth  in  Vincennes  settlement  noted  by  Volney  in  1804 18 

produced  in  southern  Indiana 217 

TODD,  REV., 

mentioned  by  Reed 468 

TOPOGRAPHY, 

along  the  Ohio  River  described  by  Dana,  1819 208,  210 

as  given  by  Dana 198-199 

country  from  Knobs  to  east  branch  of  White  river 134 

Indiana  country  in  letter  by  soldier  in  Indiana  campaign  of  1791.       15 


INDEX  591 

TOPOGRAPHY— Continued.  PAGE 

Indiana  country  by  Bradbury  in  1809-1811 35 

of  Indiana  described  by  travelers 7,  9,  17, 

25,  29,  37,  141-146,  194,  216,  244,  245,  328,  439,  443-62,  497,  523 

of  lands  in  southern  Indiana  described  by  John  Vawter 239 

similarity  to  Tartary  noted  by  Volney 17 

TOWNS, 

beginnings  and  origin  of  names 183 

in  the  State  described  briefly  by  Darby,  1818 194-195 

sameness  of  names  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 125 

TRADE, 

at  stores  and  by  traders 182-183 

described  by  travelers 245,  251 

flat  boat  trade  with  New  Orleans,  1806-1811 33 

forms  of  barter  at  New  Harmony  in  1825 371 

fur  trade 8 

hampered  by  lack  of  water  communication,  according  to  Postel 

523-524 

money  only  accepted  at  Vincennes 102 

trading  with  Canada,  the  East  and  New  Orleans 231 

TRANSPORTATION, 

methods  noted  by  Hutchins  in  1778 8 

methods  noted  by  Imlay  in  1793 11 

Ohio  river  passenger  rates  in  1825 368 

in  1826 412 

rates  to  Vincennes  in  1816 * 103 

river  transportation  between  Detroit  and  Wabash  country 28 

TRAVEL, 

by  blazed  trails  difficult,  1828 514 

difficulties  encountered  in  the  backwoods 187,  262,  263 

horseback,  and  over  poor  roads,  in  recollections  of  Coffin 534 

in  Indiana  in  1827  rough  and  without  conveniences 506 

necessity  of  attention  to  feet  of  horses 52 

TREATY  OF  GREENVILLE, 

making  peace  with  Indians 461 

purchase  of  lands  in  Indiana  from  Indians 233 

TREES, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer .      150 

enumerated  trees  described  by  Warden 222 

found  in  Indiana,  described  by  Postel 523 

helianthus 133 

in  Orange  Co'unty 158 

in  southern  Indiana  described  by  John  Vawter 239-240 

kinds  found  in  Ohio  Valley  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 43 

in  Paoli  neighborhood  in  1816 59 

in  Wabash  country  in  1778 7 

near  Fort  Wayne 251 

paw  paw 59,  1 15 

pecans 73,  90,  91,  115 

persimmon 115 

pine  and  cedar  in  Wabash  country 114 

use  and  abuse  of  forests  in  early  days 533 

TRIALS, 

default  of  justice  in  criminal  trials  described  by  Postel,  1828 .  .  .     525 


594  INDEX 

WAGES,  PAGE 

amount  allowed  in  New  Harmony  community 389 

WAR, 

reflections  on  devastating  influence  by  Thomas  in  1816 83 

WARD,  ALLEN, 

associate  of  Robert  Owen  at  New  Harmony 537 

WARDEN,  DAVID  BAILLIE, 

biographical  sketch 216 

WARWICK  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 163 

WASHINGTON, 

described  by  travelers 210,  256 

WASHINGTON  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 158 

WATER, 

SEE  WELLS. 

caution  about  use  by  Thomas  in  1818 122 

caution  by  Thomas  against  drinking  water  saturated  with  sul- 
phate of  lime 123 

nitration  of  drinking  water  suggested  by  Thomas  in  1818 122 

on  prairies,  bad 247 

quality  in  Wabash  river 112 

scarcity  described  by  Teas 251-252 

springs  and  wells  abundant 497 

WAYNE,  GENERAL  ANTHONY, 

tribute  by  Capt.  James  Riley 241 

WAYNE  COUNTY, 

described  by  Brown  in  Western  Gazetteer 154 

recollections  of  Coffin 532 

WEAWS, 

in  western  Indiana 22,  145 

Indian  battle  in  1791 12 

WEBSTER,  MR., 

of  Jeff ersonville,  mentioned  by  Mr.  Reed 468 

WELLS, 

described  by  travelers 53,  149,  223,  247 

WESTERN  GAZETTEER, 

emigrants'  guide,  by  Samuel  R.  Brown 136-170 

WESTERN  SUN, 

published  at  Vincennes 105,  160 

WHEAT, 

absence  from  crops  noted  by  Volney  in  1804 18 

adaptability  of  soil  to  raising  noted  by  Hutchins  in  1778 8 

note'd  by  Imlay  in  1793 10 

immense  fields  harvested  by  men  and  women  at  New  Harmony, 

1828 515 

prices  at  Louisville  in  1806-1811 29 

price  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

time  of  harvest  in  Vincennes  region  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 .  .  108 


INDEX  595 

WHETSTONES,  PAGE 

existence  in  French  Lick  vicinity  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 ....       60 

WHITE  RIVER, 

chief  tributary  of  Wabash  noted  by  Melish,  1806-1811 32 

described  by  Darby  as  branch  of  Wabash 192 

described  by  travelers 18,  138 

forks  named  and  described  by  travelers 213,  214,  219 

icy  condition  described  by  Forster 264 

navigability  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 112 

valley  described  by  Flint 444 

WHITEWATER  RIVER, 

described  by  travelers 140,  212,  220 

mentioned  by  Forster  as  a  meeting  place 268 

WILD  ANIMALS, 

SEE  GAME. 

deer  in  early  Indiana  times 79 

elk 79,  116 

gophers 65 

injurious  to  grains 230 

kinds  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 116 

opossums 116 

porcupines 116 

prairie  wolf  described  by  Thomas  in  1816 78,  223 

rabbits 79 

skunks ; 116 

squirrels 78 

wolves 79,  116 

WILD  FOWLS, 

kinds  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 117 

WILD  FRUITS, 

varieties  in  Wabash  country  noted  by  Thomas  in  1818 114 

WILD  ROSES, 

described  by  Thomas  in  1816 66 

WILD  TURKEYS, 

scarcity  noted  by  Thomas  in  1816 81 

WILKINSON,  GENERAL, 

destroyed  large  Indian  town,  1791 12,  456 

WILLIAMS,.  JESSE, 

mentioned  by  Forster 267 

WILLIAMSON,  REV.  ALEXANDER, 

ordained  for  Presbyterian  church  as  evangelist,  1825 487 

WINE, 

adaptability  of  Wabash  country  to  making  noted  by  Hutchins 

in  1778 8 

made  at  New  Harmony 425 

made  in  abundance  at  Vevay 449 

prices  at  Vincennes  in  1816 103 

WOLVES, 

existence  in  early  Indiana  times 79 

kinds  noted  and  described  by  Thomas  in  1818 116 


596  INDEX 

WOOL,  PAGE 

attempts  to  raise  merino  sheep  described  by  Birkbeck 175 

WYANDOT  CREEK, 

described  in  Western  Gazetteer,  1817 137 

Y 
YELLOW-BANK  CREEK, 

location  noted  by  Ashe  in  1808 27 

YOUNG,  JOHN, 

Persbyterian  missionary  died  at  Vincennes,  1825 489 


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